Uganda Christian News has learnt of the brutal murder of a 16-year-old in eastern India.
Watchdog organization Open Doors USA reported that Sambaru Madkami was stabbed and stoned to death on 4th June, 2020, because of his conversion to Christianity and for his fervent passion to share about his Savior, Jesus Christ.
Security officials in India recovered his body in the jungle of Malkangiri, Odisha state on 5 June, where it had been buried by the assailants.
This was after Samaru’s family and pastor had filed a “missing person” report.
Citing information from an autopsy report, area pastor Bijay Pusuru, a close friend of Sambaru’s family, told media reporters the assailants dragged Sambaru six kilometers from the village to the jungle, “completely” ripping off the skin on his back.
Further more, information from police and the autopsy report indicated the assailants “broke the young Christian’s legs and hands, put him in a sack and stabbed him with a knife.”
This is according to Sambaru’s village house church pastor, Inga Madkami, who spoke to Morning Star News.
“His eyes, nose and face were not visible,” said Pastor Pusuru, sobbing. “It was all smashed.”
Police arrested six people after Sambaru’s cousin filed a complaint, according to Morning Star News, and two of the suspects, Deba Madkami and another whose identity is unclear, confessed to the kidnapping and murder and led officers to Sambaru’s body, according to Inspector Ram Prasad Nag, the investigating officer who is also Station Head Officer of the Malkangiri police station.
Open Doors USA suspects the attack was carried out by men known to be Hindu extremists.
On June 11, sources say two lawyers from the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) in India visited Sambaru’s family, as well as the two other targeted Christians, and recorded their statements.
The HRLN team aided by local lawyers expects to petition the High Court of Odisha for a high-level inquiry into the case.
Dibakar Parichha, secretary for the Diocesan Commission for Justice Peace and Development from the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, said it is not acceptable that such crimes continue to happen during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The government should take the toughest action towards the perpetrator of the crime so that peace can be brought to the locality,” he said.
Lal said EFI’s Religious Liberty Commission has chronicled at least 10 incidents of persecution against Christians in Odisha state this year.
India ranks as the 10th most dangerous country for Christians on the 2020 World Watch List—the second year the country has cracked the list’s top 10.
News Agencies contributed to this report.
