ODISHA (RVANews): A Catholic church in Dengasargi village, Rayagada district, eastern India’s Odisha state, was vandalised and sacred items desecrated by a group of villagers on March 3, according to reports from Church authorities and Catholic Connect.
At around 7:00pm, a group of tribal villagers gathered and demanded that three Catholic families come out of their homes.
“The families were frightened and remained inside, fearing they would be assaulted,” Father Abed Kumar Khura, parish priest of the cathedral parish in Rayagada, recounted.
When the families refused, the crowd allegedly targeted a small Catholic church on the village street.
“At around 9:00pm, the mob broke open the church door and entered the building. They damaged the altar and the cross and collected sacred items, including the priest’s vestments, Bibles, and other religious articles. These were taken outside and set on fire,” Father Khura said.
Following the incident, Church authorities approached the police. Acting on the advice of Bishop Aplinar Senapati of Rayagada, the affected families filed a First Information Report on March 4 at JK Pur Police Station.
The families were frightened and remained inside, fearing they would be assaulted
Father Abed Kumar Khura
Later that day, a police team visited the village with church representatives to assess the situation. The delegation included Father Shanti Chandana Pani, vicar general of the diocese; Father Khura; Father Eric Xalco; advocate John Paul; and Sujit Nayak.
“When we reached the village, most of the accused were not present,” Father Khura said, adding that police also began examining the legal status of the land where the church stands.
Later in the evening, a senior officer representing the district superintendent of police arrived to supervise the inquiry. Both parties were asked to appear at Therubali Police Station for questioning.
Police deployed additional personnel to maintain order and warned that anyone refusing to cooperate could be brought in under escort.
According to Catholic Connect, around 180 villagers later appeared at the police station, accompanied by members of the affected families.
During the inquiry, some villagers claimed tensions had existed since the church was constructed in 2023. Others raised concerns about the ownership of the land where it stands.
Police deployed additional personnel to maintain order and warned that anyone refusing to cooperate could be brought in under escort.
Police reminded those present that disputes must be resolved through legal means and warned against taking the law into their own hands.
Local authorities facilitated a temporary peace agreement between the communities. Officials assured protection for the affected Catholic families and confirmed that Christians would be allowed to continue prayer and worship.
Police remain stationed in the village to ensure security while investigations continue.
Father Khura expressed appreciation for the authorities’ intervention.
“We are grateful to the police administration for their timely response and cooperation,” he said, noting that the prompt action helped prevent further escalation.
