MUMBAI, India – Police in the Indian state of Rajasthan have arrested four Catholic men and charged them under multiple sections of the penal code, including attempted murder, after a group of right-wing Hindu activists disrupted a Mass gathering and accused worshippers of engaging in religious conversions.

According to local Church leaders, the incident occurred in Kalinjara village, Rajasthan’s Banswara district, within the Diocese of Udaipur, during an evening Mass held as part of a Novena leading up to a Marian feast on May 7. The prayer service was being held at a private grotto because there is no church building in the area.

Father Arvind Amliyar of Trinity Parish in Kalinjara told Crux Now that approximately a dozen men entered the gathering during the distribution of the Eucharist and began accusing the Catholics present of conducting “forced conversions.” A confrontation followed, and police later detained four Catholic men who remain in jail facing charges under anti-conversion laws and other criminal statutes.

India has a population of over 1.4 billion people, and the vast majority – around 80 percent – are Hindu. Christians make up just 2.3 percent of the population, a number that has remained unchanged for decades despite accusations of “forced conversion” by Hindu nationalists.

The state of Rajasthan has an even higher average number of Hindus – nearly 90 percent – and its Christian population is just 0.14 percent.

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“There is no formal church building in that area, so the faithful gather at a grotto on private property,” Amliyar told Crux Now. “Catholic families and people from nearby areas are invited to join in prayer.”

Father Parsing Damor, a newly ordained priest from the village and a member of the Phil Tribe, presided at the Mass when the group stormed in.

“They started making allegations like ‘conversions taking place’,” Amliyar said. “Our people tried to calm the situation and suggested calling the police to clarify matters.”

The situation escalated when, according to the priest, one of the intruders was seen carrying a knife.

“Our people noticed that one of them had a knife. That’s when tensions rose, and some members of the congregation reacted angrily. A scuffle ensued,” he said.

Police arrived quickly. However, instead of initiating an inquiry into the allegations, officers detained four Catholic men at the gathering.

“They immediately took four individuals into custody—a retired government school principal, a young man, and two middle-aged men,” Amliyar said. “All of them are Catholics. There was no question of conversion.”

Efforts by the local community to file a criminal report were reportedly unsuccessful.

“Our complaint was not registered despite repeated attempts, even when a large group approached the police station,” the priest told Crux Now.

The four Catholics are in jail and have since been charged under multiple sections of the penal code, including attempted murder and violations of anti-conversion laws.

Additional arrests have also been reported.

“The next day, more individuals were taken into custody. There are claims that others were involved or abetted the incident,” Amliyar added.

Meanwhile, fear has spread among the village’s residents, many of whom are Bhil tribal community members. The Bhil people have a larger percentage of Christians than the rest of the state.

“People are frightened. Those whose names have been mentioned are in hiding, especially the men,” Amliyar said.

Despite the confrontation, no serious injuries or property damage were reported. The priest who had celebrated the Mass left the area shortly after the incident.

As legal proceedings begin, the community awaits bail hearings and further developments. The case highlights ongoing sensitivities around religious practices in rural regions and raises questions about law enforcement response and the protection of minority communities.

“This is not about conversion,” Amliyar said. “It was a peaceful prayer gathering that was disrupted.”

Bishop Devprasad Ganawa of Udaipur condemned the incident, saying it disrupts the life of the village and the wider community.

“A peaceful celebration was underway, attended solely by Catholic faithful. Today, being a Christian presents significant challenges, and it often feels as though we are under constant surveillance,” he told Crux Now.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has ruled India since 2014, is linked with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu nationalist group.

Hindu nationalists often accuse Christians of using force and surreptitious tactics in pursuing conversions, and such “illegal conversions” can be punished with fines and jail time.