Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir – October 29, 2025
In a shocking display of communal violence, a group of Hindu nationalists led by self-proclaimed cow vigilante Ravindra Singh Thela assaulted three Christian preachers from Kerala on a tourist bus in Juthana village, Kathua district, on October 24. The attack, which unfolded in full view of on-duty police personnel, has drawn widespread condemnation and led to the suspension of eight officers for dereliction of duty.
Eyewitness videos circulating on social media captured the mob surrounding the bus, hurling accusations of forced religious conversions at the passengers before dragging the preachers out and beating them. The victims, identified as part of a group of Christian missionaries traveling through the region, were allegedly preaching in the area when locals confronted them. "They accused us of trying to convert villagers, but we were only sharing our faith peacefully," one of the survivors told local media after the incident.
Thela, a known BJP leader with a history of involvement in cow protection vigilantism, spearheaded the assault alongside four to five associates. According to police reports, the confrontation began with verbal arguments over alleged proselytizing activities but quickly escalated into physical violence. The main accused, Thela, was arrested shortly after the attack, while investigations continue into the roles of his accomplices, many of whom have prior criminal records related to similar vigilantism cases.
Kathua Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shiv Dev Singh confirmed the arrests and suspensions in a statement, emphasizing that the force was taking the matter seriously. "Four or five individuals were involved in the assault, and one has been apprehended. The suspended officers failed to intervene despite being present at the scene," SSP Singh said. The suspensions include personnel from the local police station, highlighting lapses in maintaining law and order during the incident.
According to reports, Thela and his other associates have multiple FIRs registered against them in the Jammu division.The SSP said that a case under sections 126 (2) (punishment for wrongful restraint), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 191 (2) (use of force or violence by an unlawful assembly), 324 (4) (mischief), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult to provoke a breach of peace) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and sections 4 and 25 of the Arms Act has been registered.“A manhunt is underway to nab the other perpetrators,” SSP Sharma said.The identity of the other perpetrators and their credentials have not been revealed by the police so far.
According to the 2011 census, Christians formed a tiny minority comprising 0.6% of Jammu and Kashmir's population. Some reports indicate that the population of Christians has grown significantly in the Union territory as compared with adherents of other religions.Last month, some Hindu right-wing activists protested in the Samba district of Jammu against alleged attempts of forcible conversion by Christian missionaries under the pretext of social gatherings.
The activists had demanded that the administration take strict action against those involved in the “forcible conversions”.In 2018, four Hindu families who had converted to Christianity were attacked and socially boycotted in the Nowshera village of Jammu's Poonch district.Their church was also set on fire by the perpetrators, forcing the government to set up a police post in their native village for their protection.
The issue of the allegedly forced conversion of people of other faiths in Jammu and Kashmir by Christian evangelists is not new.In 2012, the Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir Bashir-ud-Din issued a fatwa directing three Christian priests to leave the region while a fourth priest who was the principal of a prominent missionary school was put on notice.
Villagers in Juthana have alleged that the Christian group was distributing religious literature and attempting conversions, prompting an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity and outraging religious feelings. However, human rights advocates and Christian organizations have decried the violence as a targeted attack on minority faiths, calling for stricter enforcement of anti-vigilantism laws.
This incident adds to a string of attacks on religious minorities in Jammu and Kashmir, where tensions over cow protection and alleged conversions have simmered for years. Thela's group has been linked to previous cow vigilantism cases, raising questions about the influence of fringe elements in local politics.
Authorities have assured the public of impartial action, with a magisterial inquiry underway to probe the police's role. As the preachers recover from their injuries, community leaders from both sides are urging dialogue to prevent further escalation in the sensitive border district.
This report is based on verified accounts from multiple sources. Further developments will be updated as they emerge.
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