Christians demand the release of Hindu man, Biki Bishal’s killer [ Assam , India ]

[ Reported as seen ]

Christians menaced around the deputy commissioner’s office and demanded the release of a pastor who was arrested for the murder of Biki Bishal. Biki Bishal was lynched to death by Christian cadres for setting up his marriage with a Christian woman without converting to Christianity first. The woman and Bishal were ready to tie a knot after being in a romantic relationship for a long time.

Human rights firm Legal Rights Observatory (LRO) stated that a 2-hour protest was organized outside the DC office to pressurize the Superintendent of Police to release the pastor.

LRO tweeted a poster calling upon Christians to gather against the ‘humiliation of Christians’ by Lakhimpur police. The crowd wanted GEL Lutheran church Ismail Shabbar (44) pastor of Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church and his assistant Niranjan Aian to be set free.

Lakhimpur SP BM Rajkhowa revealed that since investigations against the pastor were ongoing there was unjustified demand for his release. “They (Christian Missionaries) should not make it an issue of religion, instead should realise that the pastor has been arrested for his involvement in the Criminal activities,” stated the police.

On September 6, the girl’s family members, alongwith some church officials and a huge mob from 4 churches, came to Bishal’s house and took the girl away forcefully against her will. Biki was threatened and told that he would be allowed to marry the girl only if he embraced Christianity.

The victim’s family has said that Bishal was called by someone from his girlfriend’s family to her village on September 11 and had been missing since then. His body was found hanging from a tree on September 12 after he was lynched by the Christian mob.