ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (ANS) -- A group of Hindu radicals viciously attacked three pastors, one woman and a child on Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 9:00 PM, during a prayer service held at a house church in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh state, India.

According to news released on the website of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) -- www.persecution.in -- the attack occurred when a group of 10-15 members belonging to a Hindu radical group, Rashtriya Swayam Sevaks (RSS), barged into a house church and assaulted the believers present in the meeting.

The website also reported that they snatched Bibles from the people inside and tore them, vandalized the musical instruments, metal doors, and windows of the house church.

The news source said that, during the assault, Pastors Philip (39), Timothy and Siluvai Kumar, were attacked severely. Pastor Timothy sustained severe injuries on his left ear. The attackers also mercilessly beat and abused the wife of pastor Philip, Mrs. Kezia, who was in near her full term pregnancy and as wekk as their 18-months-old daughter, Hepziba.

It was considered that the intention behind this attack was to prevent people from worshipping Jesus and to accuse the pastors on alleged false charges of “forceful conversion.”

The news source went on to say that the radicals then forcefully took Pastor Timothy to the nearby police station and lodged a complaint against the pastor by accusing him to have urinated near a temple on the idols and, amazingly, the police then detained the pastors instead of their attackers.

GCIC sources said that the police officers tried to make a compromise between both the parties and even threatened them with “dire consequences if this kind of activity is repeated in the future.”

GCIC coordinator took the injured to the hospital and was at the police station intervening on behalf of the detained pastors. Following this, the police released the pastors.

Local RSS activists have warned the pastors to hold any prayer meetings in the area.

Pastor Phillip has been serving in the slums for the past four and a half years.

All India Christian Council (aicc) has also condemned the attack on the pastors and sought a fair probe into the incident. The Council also demanded immediate arrest of the attackers.

James Varghese is a reporter for Masihat newspaper in India, and is also a freelance journalist working for ANS.