Five Men sentenced to life imprisonment for anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal
(September 24, 2009) Five young men were awarded sentence to life imprisonment in
Kandhamal, Orissa, being found guilty for the murder of Akbar Digal, a Baptist pastor
and forced to pay a fine of 5 thousand rupees (around 120 dollars) for arson, looting
and burning houses. Akbar Digal, 40 years old, was the pastor of the Protestant community
in the village of Totomaha, part of the Gram Panchayat of Mandakia in the vicinity
of Riakia. On the 26th of September 2008, during the attacks by the Hindu extremists
he sought refuge in the fields whilst his wife with their five children escaped in
the opposite direction. The attackers searched the pastor from house to house looting
and burning them. Once they captured him they forced him to abandon Christianity and
convert to Hinduism. When he refused they decapitated him and cut his body into pieces.
Once the extremists left the village, his wife found his body burnt and in torn to
pieces. The news of the sentence regarding the assassins renewed the hope in justice
of the Christian community of Kandhamal. Jay Prakash, brother of Akbar says “we
are pleased that the judges bought justice to the soul of our brother.” The sentence
of the five coincides with the acquittal of other five in another case for arson and
violence against Christian closed today in the court of Bhubaneswar. Up to date the
two courts that are examining the cases related to the violence put in prison 19 persons
and released 88. Mons. Raphael Cheenath, archbishop of Cuttack- Bhubaneswar, was
satisfied with the verdict. The prelate hopes that this does not hold back the witnesses,
and they should testify to the truth in spite of the threats, and has asked for
“strict investigations and protection of the witnesses”.