FIR after under-construction church is vandalised in Bengal

4 min readSonarpurJul 9, 2026 06:31 AM IST

The under-construction church that was vandalised on Sunday in Sonarpur, South 24 Paragana district, in West Bengal. (Photo: Partha Paul)

The small community of Christian families in Buri Bot Tola in the Subhasgram area of West Bengal’s Sonarpur, about 30 kilometres from Kolkata, is on edge.

On Sunday, a mob barged into an under-construction church here, threatened members of the congregation and vandalised the structure, including climbing onto the roof and damaging three crosses atop the building.

The small church, still under construction and with a tin roof, stands in the middle of the Subhasgram area under Sonarpur police station in South 24 Parganas. Two newly erected pillars lay on the ground.

The under-construction church that was vandalised on Sunday in Sonarpur, South 24 Paragana district, in West Bengal. (Photo: Partha Paul)

“We have not faced such a situation before. It was around 3 pm on Sunday when about 100 people gathered near the church. Painting work was going on inside. They claimed we were converting people and started ransacking the church. We tried to protest, but there were so many of them,” Barnali Bhiyan (44), a community member, alleged.

“They kicked in the wooden door, breaking its hinges. Then they went inside, brought out a ladder that the workers had been using and climbed onto the church,” claimed Utpal Ghosh, another local resident and community member.

Community members alleged the vandals identified themselves as members of the Hindu Jagran Manch and raised slogans while damaging the church. “They asked us why we were wearing shakha-pola and sindur while calling ourselves Christians. I could not make them understand that we have worn these for generations. We have been living here since 2017… They alleged that we were converting people by luring them with money. We are poor families; where will we get that kind of money?” said Champa Bhuiyan (45).

The neighbourhood, which has a mixed population, is home to around 50 Christian families who used to pray in a rented room nearby. After purchasing land in the area, construction of the church began in March. The church belongs to the Presbyterian Church of India.

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“There are about 50 families with 116 church members. We are a small community. Since the nearest church is in Sonarpur town, we wanted to build a small one here. If anyone had a problem, they should have approached the authorities long ago. Why attack the church now?” said Geeta Haldar, a member of the congregation.

Locals later called the police, who intervened and detained three youths.

A complaint filed by Swapan Purkait, on the basis of which Sonarpur police station registered an FIR, states “the door, locks, two pillars and three crosses on top of the building were damaged”. It invokes sections of criminal trespass, mischief causing loss or damage and criminal intimidation.

“An FIR has been lodged, and we have started an investigation. Everything is peaceful now,” said a senior officer of Baruipur police district.

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“We have filed a police complaint, which was later turned into an FIR,” said Reverend Stephen BC of the church.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Herod Mullick, Christian community leader and founder of Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (Bengal Christian Council), said, “We have sent a delegation to the spot. We will hold a protest rally on July 14 and submit a memorandum to the Governor.”

Koushik Mukherjee, in-charge (Sanyojak) of Sonarpur Uttar and Sonarpur Dakshin Hindu Jagran Manch, told The Indian Express: “Local Hindus were complaining that the community was engaged in religious conversions. People were being offered money. An illegal church was being set up there. So we went and questioned them over the allegations. We  asked them how they could wear Hindu symbols and claim to be Christians. Meanwhile, hundreds of local Hindus gathered, and there was a scuffle. Some of the locals damaged the church. Three local boys were detained by police. We went to the police station and they were released. We had written to police and the municipality regarding illegal church.”

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Ravik Bhattacharya is a highly experienced and award-winning journalist currently serving as the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, Ravik possesses deep expertise across a wide range of critical subjects and geographical areas.

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