Police Break Spine of One Christian, Nose of Another in Tamil Nadu, India

Police Break Spine of One Christian, Nose of Another in Tamil Nadu, India

 

By Jeremy Reynalds, Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service (jeremyreynalds@gmail.com )  

 

NEW DELHI, INDIA (ANS-Dec 26)  - Police hostility toward Christians in India continued this year as officers in Tamil Nadu reviled two Christians for their faith and seriously injured them, sources said.

 

According to a story by Morning Star News, the two Christians, A. Rethinakumar and C. Nova of Jesus Redeems Ministry, were traveling by motorcycle in Thomas Nagar on Nov. 3 at about 2:30 a.m. 

 

That was when two policemen stopped them and began verbally abusing them, according to attorney T. Hubertson, who submitted a petition to the National Human Rights Commission about the assault.

 

He identified the officers as Special Sub-Inspector Ravi Chandran of the Asaripallam police station and Raj Kumar of the Tamil Nadu Special Police Youth Brigade.

 

“The two policemen were heavily drunk and calling the Christians ‘sons of prostitutes,’” Hubertson told Morning Star News. “They told the Christians to remove their helmets and started punching them in the face.”

 

Slapping, punching and verbally abusing the Christians, Chandran asked the Christians where they were going. 

 

When they replied that they had done some work for an upcoming Christian program and were on their way to see their ministry leader, the beating continued as Chandran made derogatory remarks against Christ and asked, “‘What has Jesus done for you, sons of prostitutes? Why are you running to Him?’” Hubertson said.

 

Kumar, slapping and kicking Rethinakumar and repeatedly kicking and punching him the length of his spine to his neck,  and threatened to kill them, said S. Jeyakumar, area leader of Jesus Redeems Ministry.

 

Morning Star News said the two policemen then forced the Christians to call Jeyakumar, and Kumar informed him that they were taking Rethinakumar and Nova to the police station.

 

After reaching the Asaripallam Police Station, Chandran and Kumar forced the Christians to sit on the floor and continued to assault them, sources said.

 

When Jeyakumar arrived at the Asaripallam police station, the officers refused to listen to him and continued assaulting the two Christians and disparaging Christ, the ministry leader said. The officers asked the two Christians if Jesus Redeems Ministry founder Mohan C. Lazarus offered them money to become Christians, and if “he is the one brainwashing you,” Morning Star News reported one source said.

 

Chandran then falsely accused the Christians of theft.

 

“He threatened to file false charges against the Christians and remand them to jail if they said anything about what they had done to them,” the source said.

 

Nova gave the officers copies of the motorcycle registration, driver's license and vehicle insurance. However, the policemen threw the documents on the ground, and filed a false case against them for failure to wear helmets and lacking registration, insurance, license and brake light, Jeyakumar said.

 

The policemen seized their motorcycle and, after obtaining signatures from them on a blank paper, drove them from the police station at about 4 a.m., continuing to beat them and threatening to kill them, the sources said.

 

Rethinakumar suffered fractures in his spine. He first received treatment at Kanyakumari Government Medical Hospital, and was later admitted to Peace Health Center Hospital in Tirunelveli, Jeyakumar said.

 

Nova suffered a broken nose and a serious mouth injury, Hubertson said.

 

“His face was swollen, and he was not able to talk or eat properly for many days,” he said. “He was discharged from the hospital after a medical treatment of 25 days.”

 

The National Human Rights Commission on Nov. 22 registered a case against Chandran and Kumar for assault.

 

Police officials, however, have not taken any action against the assailants, Morning Star News reported sources said.

 

“The local police are not responding to any of our complaints, and no police actions have been taken against the attackers, but we are submitting a memorandum to the higher officials including the chief minister of the state,” Hubertson said.

 

Chandran and Kumar were not available for comment.

 

For more information visit www.morningstarnews.org

 

Photo captions: 1) Kanyakumari Government Medical College in Tamil Nadu. (Wikipedia). 2) Jeremy and Elma Reynalds.

 

About the writer: Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, www.joyjunction.org. He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "From Destitute to Ph.D." Additional details on "From Destitute to Ph.D." are available at www.myhomelessjourney.com. Reynalds lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife, Elma. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@gmail.com .