Bajrang Dal allegedly forces three Christian families into ‘ghar wapsi’ in Bengal

Three Christian families in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district have allegedly been subjected to intimidation, physical assault and sexual harassment by individuals linked to the Bajrang Dal, with the victims reportedly being forced to renounce Christianity and participate in Hindu religious rituals through ghar wapsi.

According to lawyers and civil society activists, the alleged harassment began on 18 October and continued over the following two days in the Chandrakona police station area. The families claimed that members of the group threatened them for refusing to abandon their Christian faith, while women, including a 14-year-old girl, were allegedly assaulted and had their clothes torn, Maktoob Media reported.

A lawyer representing the victims told Maktoob that a woman was struck on the head so severely that she lost consciousness, and she later reported being subjected to a forced purification ritual. The victims also alleged that they were compelled to offer anjali at a Durga Puja pandal on 19 October.

In another disturbing incident, a minor girl was allegedly choked and publicly humiliated, while her family was threatened with kidnapping and rape. Fearing further violence, her relatives reportedly moved her to another location. The families also claimed that they were threatened with being burned alive if they approached the police.

The lawyer alleged that the husbands of all three families were taken away at around 7.30 am on 20 October, while their wives were told that they would be taken to a temple for religious rituals. The families were subsequently confined to their homes, and the injured were reportedly prevented from leaving the village.

However, the lawyer claimed that the police initially refused to register their complaint and that officers who responded to an emergency call failed to provide adequate protection. Police officials had reportedly reached the affected household following pressure from activists, although the situation remained tense.

The alleged incidents come amid reports of rising anti-Christian hostility in West Bengal following the May 2026 Assembly elections. India Hate Lab reportedly documented at least 60 targeted anti-Christian hate incidents between May and September, raising renewed concerns about religious freedom and the protection of vulnerable minority communities.