I had no personal enmity with anyone, still they thrashed me, says pastor

He says he and his wife are living in fear since the day of the attack; seeks speedy action, justice

Pastor Kelom Kalyan Tet at his house in Fatehpur on Thursday. | Photo Credit: Arnabjit Sur

For pastor Kelom Kalyan Tet, 35, the morning of February 25 will remain one of the most traumatic memories of his life.

On that day, he was mercilessly thrashed by a mob that tied him to the grilles of a divider in full public view and accused him of carrying out “forced conversions”, in south Delhi’s Fatehpur Beri.

“I cannot forget that day… I never had any personal enmity with anyone from other communities, still they thrashed me and made false allegations that I was on a mission of carrying out forced conversions… This is not what I deserved,” Mr. Tet told The Hindu.

FIR registered

The Delhi police on Thursday said they have lodged an FIR in the matter under sections pertaining to kidnapping or abduction, punishment for voluntarily causing hurt and punishment for wrongful restraint. 

Around 10 a.m. on Friday last, Mr. Tet, a pastor with Jerusalem Prayer Fellowship Church, was returning from his friend’s house at Bhati Mines on his motorbike when around half a dozen people blocked his way and accused him of conducting religious conversions. “They started beating me suddenly… I couldn’t understand what was happening and who these people were,” recalled the pastor, who belongs to a Scheduled Tribe.

Soon, the crowd grew in number and Mr. Tet was packed in a car and taken to Peepal Chowk in Fatehpur market, around 5 km from the spot. 

“They said they were taking me to the Maidan Garhi police station… They threatened to kill me,” Mr. Tet said.

However, the accused took him to Peepal Chowk and tied him to the grilles of the road divider and allegedly started abusing and thrashing him again. “They broke my nose and it started bleeding… I almost became unconscious. They also tore my Bible and stole my phone and vehicle papers… No passer-by helped me or cared to call the police,” Mr. Tet said.

After a two-hour-long ordeal, Mr. Tet managed to break free and fled the spot. “I somehow managed to free myself from the ropes and ran for my life… I hid at several places and tried to take shelter at some houses before reaching home,” he said.

Pain persists

It’s been almost a week since the attack but Mr. Tet still experiences pain in his legs and head. “I was shaken after the incident. It has affected me physically and has caused mental trauma,” he said.

“I have been living here since 18 years but never have I ever faced such a situation,” the pastor said.

On reasons why he may have been attacked, Mr. Tet could not recall any recent incident. However, he mentioned a 15-year-old incident when he and some other pastors faced resistance from a group of people who claimed that their Mass was disturbing their prayers in a nearby shrine. “We didn’t lodge a police complaint at that time as we thought it was a one-off incident,” Mr. Tet said.

The pastor said his pregnant wife is living in fear that he may be attacked again. “I have cancelled tomorrow’s (Friday) prayer as I am not mentally prepared to conduct it. My wife has asked me to find some people to accompany me if I am going for the Sunday Mass.”

Mr. Tet had filed a police complaint about the attack on February 27. He also wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Wednesday, requesting him to conduct a thorough probe into the incident. In his letter, the pastor alleged that the mob abused him and his tribe.

A senior police officer said they have also received complaints against Mr. Tet. “The matter is being probed and there is no delay in action being taken on the pastor’s complaint.” The officer added that SC/ST provisions have not been invoked in the case as they suspect the mob belongs to the same community.

“I hope the police are able to identify the perpetrators so that these allegations against me are proven wrong,” Mr. Tet said.