Hundreds of Hindus surrounded a Christian compound in the village of Sikaria in Bihar, India on August 31. They demanded the arrest of Rev. Augustine Jebakumar, director of the Gospel Echoing Missionary Society (GEMS) compound. The crowds remained for three days until police succumbed to pressure and arrested Rev. Jebakumar.
The incident began when a group of young people were passing by the compound in a religious procession. Jebakumar asked them to turn down the volume of their loudspeakers, since students were studying inside. The young people proceeded to attack Jebakumar and others who came to his rescue. Several Christians were injured. Two required hospitalization. Someone in the mob managed to disconnect the power to the compound and, in the confusion and dark, an idol that was being carried in the Hindu procession was broken. The mob claimed that Jebakumar was responsible and demanded that he be arrested for desecrating the idol. As word of the incident spread, hundreds of Hindus joined in demanding Jebakumar's arrest. Inside the compound were around 100 families and 900 children.
On the afternoon of September 3, police arrested Jebakumar, holding him for several hours before releasing him. Following his arrest, the crowds dissipated and the tension appears to have abated. According to GEMS, this is the fourth such incident.
A representative of GEMS requests prayer that everything will return to normal as soon as possible. Pray that the violence will not restart with the return of Rev. Jebakumar.
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