Hindu Extremists Kidnapped Pastor

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Andhra Pradesh – Hindu extremists kidnapped a pastor identified only as Jonathan D. and tried to force him to worship at a Hindu temple on Jan. 26 in Secunderabad. The All India Christian Council (AICC) reported that extremists with their faces covered grabbed the pastor from behind and forced him into a vehicle, and then drove him around for about six hours. The next day they forced him to enter a temple in a forested area, where they told him to bow down before their idols and shout “Jai Shri Ram [Hail Lord Ram],” and then beat him when he refused, verbally abusing and threatening him, according to the AICC. The pastor was able to escape on the night of Jan. 28 while the assailants were asleep. He walked about 15 kilometers (nine miles), found a main road leading to Gulbarga and, though he had no money, managed to reach Patancheru and call his family. His family had not informed police due to uncertainty and fear, according to the AICC. His relatives and church members picked him up by auto-rickshaw and returned him home. – BW