Hindu extremists beat pastor in Karnataka, India

BANGALORE, India — Hindu extremists June 11 dragged an independent pastor to a police station in India’s Karnataka state, accusing him of converting Hindus to Christianity. They beat Pastor Sundar Rao severely both inside the police station and after he was released June 12.

The pastor has since been hospitalized. The police were mute spectators to the beatings, a local Christian, who requested anonymity, said. “The extremists forced Rao to sign a piece of blank paper inside the police station,” the source said. “They also told him the land he had bought for a church would instead be used for constructing a temple.”