On Feb 3 in Mundargi, Gadag District, police arrested Pastor Mallik Arjun and Pastor Nagesh Naik after the Hindu extremists beat them up.
EFI reported that at about 7: 00 p.m. the extremists stopped Pastor Nagesh Naik on the road as he was returning home after conducting a prayer meeting, verbally abused him and took him to Hanumanthappa temple. Later they called up Pastor Arjun and told him to come to a hotel where they took Pastor Naik.
Pastor Arjun went with three church members and found Pastor Naik in a Hindu temple surrounded by a mob of about 200 extremists.
"They started pushing, slapping and kicking at us as soon as we entered the temple and accused us of forceful conversion." informed pastor Arjun. The extremists also threatened us that they will sexually assault our wives and give us twin children, he added.
The extremists also abused Pastor Naik on his Lamani Caste and told him that he has converted to Christianity because he has come from the lowest caste, reported our correspondent.
Thereafter they took the two pastors to the police station at about 10:30 p.m. and they were kept in custody till 5 a.m the next day.
On the same day, the Christians reported back at the police station at about 10:00 a.m and they were sent to the Central jail later in the evening. The Christians were released on bail on 7 Feb.
"Four Hindu extremists were also arrested under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Atrocity Act 1989 and were sent to the Central jail for abusing Pastor Nagesh Naik on the base of his Lamani Caste" reported Advocate Moses Muragavel from the Karnataka Legal Aid Cell.
