Mastoori Town, 25 October 2009:
About 11 masked men brutally attacked a 28-year-old pastor in Mastoori town, 15 kilometers from Bilaspur Railway Station at around 1:30 p.m. today, 25 Oct 2009. They beat him with hockey sticks and wooden sticks and their fists.
The Sunday worship service of the Beersheba Church of God concluded at 12:00 a.m. as usual. Pastor Pavithra Kumar (28) was approached by a young man enquiring about a boy. When the pastor said that he knew no such person, the young man left. But he returned with 10 masked men who came on six bikes. They called Pastor Pavithra out and then attacked him with wooden sticks, hockey sticks and their fists. When the pastor tried to run back inside the church, a woman from the church got caught in the middle and was injured. They closed the door onto their attackers. The men then threatened the pastor and the believers from outside and left the scene.
Pastor Pavithra has been injured badly especially on his hands, chest, back and head.
The pastor and believers went t the Mastoori Police Station to file an FIR when the policeman in-charge refused to file a report saying they had no knowledge of a church being run. After much persuasion the police filed the FIR and is at the church right now investigating the matter and questioning the believers and Pastor Pavithra.
GCIC
