Church officials attacked by Indian mob outside police station

A Catholic priest, and three of his church laymen, were attacked and mobbed by a group of people, resulting in severe injuries.

Fr Jose Kannumkuzhy was with three other church officials inside a car when they were attacked by 35 men. The car was parked in front of a police station in Tamil Nadu, a southern state India.

According to a report by the International Christian Concern, the four men were waiting for police at the station to discuss a case where a priest and two other church workers were arrested over a church-led care center.

However, that is when the attackers mobbed the vehicle. Fr Johnson Veeppattuparambil, a spokesman for the diocese, said that Kannumkuzhy and the three church officials fled the vehicle, but were pursued by the culprits.

Father Jose was reportedly kicked, stomped in the stomach, and hit with a boulder. The other three were beaten and pursued for 2.5 kilometers.

The three officials suffered severe injuries and were hospitalized, while Father Kannumkuzhy is in critical condition as of press time. Father Jose is the procurator and legal representative of the Ramanathapuram Syro-Malabar diocese.

According the statement by Fr Johnson, the public and other eyewitnesses to the crime did not help the victims. The police also did not respond, nor did it send an ambulance to transport the injured victims.

The injured victims reportedly walked back to the police station, where they were even presented to the media as if they were the culprits.

"To add fuel to the fire, the police made the bleeding victims stand before the media and allowed them to take photographs," Veeppattuparambil said.