A 14-year-old girl in central India's Chhattisgarh state was found murdered, which her family and church leaders say were orchestrated by Hindu extremists for them refusing to abandon their Christian faith.
Family members found the scantly clad body of the girl in a forest near their Jattarbeda village in Kondagaon district July 22 after she failed to return home from school.
The family and church leaders say there is clear indication of rape before murder, a charge that police are yet to confirm.
Pastor A. K. Netam, who knows the family told ucanews.com that it was "a revenge attack for her not abandoning her faith." The family of the girl became Christians 18 years ago but was under pressure from local Hindu leaders to give up their faith, he said.
Netam said Hindu villagers socially boycotted the family "but they did not give in."
The girl's father Maner Sori, said he too suspects his daughter was killed for his family's faith.
The Indian head of Persecution Relief, Pastor Tomson Thomas told ucanews.com that "Christians in the country continue to face violent attacks."
Christian leaders like Tomson say such violence has increased in states ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, considered the political arm of groups that want to build a Hindu-only India.