Pastor and wife beaten in Karnataka

A pastor and his wife were brutally beaten and falsely charged with forced conversion by a mob of Hindu radicals in Karnataka this month.

The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reports that Pastor H T Manjunath, 26, and his wife Saraswati, 24, were "viciously attacked by a mob of 10 to 15 men who barged into their house and falsely blamed them of forced conversion".

"Sister Sarswathi sustained severe injuries from the beating and she is bleeding from the lacerations," the GCIC said.

"She was denied medical help under the instruction of the anti-Christian elements."

The GCIC believes members of radical Hindu group Bajrang Dal were behind the attack on December 14.

Saraswati was later taken to Mysore jail, while her husband Pastor Manjunath was detained in KR Nagar jail.

The GCIC said Pastor Manjunath was arrested while visiting the KR Nagar Police Station to lodge a complaint against the attackers.

"Instead of taking action against the criminals involved, an FIR (First Information Report) was registered against the pastor and his newly-wedded wife," GCIC said.

The police also sealed the pastor's house, the Bangalore-based group reported.

After the intervention of the GCIC, both the victims were released on bail four days later.

In a related incident, police in the Mandya district of Karnataka arrested a believer for praying for his sick friend at a government hospital.

Bhasker was praying for his friend at a hospital when members of the right-wing Hindu group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh caught hold of him and beat him up over allegations of conversion.

He was charged with promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence and language, and is being held in Mandya Jail.