A mob vandalised a church in a village in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, alleging that a visually impaired girl had become pregnant after being sexually assaulted months ago by a man from the Christian community.
The incident occurred in Murgagoth village under Anandpur police station on Monday (April 6, 2026). “The victim and the accused belong to the same village. The girl’s distant uncle, who is alleged to have committed the crime, is currently working in Tamil Nadu. Villagers came to know about the pregnancy only recently. Early on Monday (April 6, 2026) morning, when no one was inside the church, some miscreants took out chairs and an almirah and set them on fire,” said Kamal Panda, Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Keonjhar.
Mr. Panda said the village, comprising around 85 households, is almost evenly divided between Hindu and Christian residents.
“The case of sexual assault had not been reported to the police earlier. However, villagers have now approached the police to file a complaint regarding the pregnancy resulting from the alleged rape,” he said.
Police said the area is communally sensitive and are maintaining close vigil to prevent any escalation into wider violence.
