Forcing them to pose like Christ on the cross, police beat Christians in custody on baseless charges on 15 March.
Brandishing hockey sticks and steel rods, 30 Hindu extremists arrived with police at the 200-strong church.
‘I got down from the pulpit and decided to face them before they caused a nuisance or attacked any of the members of the congregation,’ said the pastor. The church was accused of increasing conversions to Christianity in the area.