#India #Jharkhand – A Catholic priest who is also a school principal was found unconscious and bleeding heavily in his office early Wednesday after three masked men attacked him the previous night, according to church officials and police. Father Benedict Barla, principal of St. Michael School (also known as RC Boys Middle School) in Khunti district, remained in critical condition Thursday at Pulse Hospital in Ranchi, where he was on ventilator support.
Barla, who also served as an assistant parish priest at St. Michael’s Cathedral, was discovered around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday lying in a pool of blood on the school premises. The school had been closed Tuesday for a festival, and the person who normally stayed with him had left to attend his mother’s funeral. Church officials said the attackers may have known Barla was alone.
CCTV footage showed three masked men arriving on a motorcycle and entering the premises around 9 p.m. Tuesday. Bisu Benjamin, vicar general of the Khunti Diocese, told The Indian Express that the men appeared to have entered the office and attacked the principal when he encountered them. “They appear to have used whatever they could find there to hit him,” Benjamin said. Other accounts from church leaders described the assault as involving sharp-edged weapons or a shovel that police later recovered. Some local reports mentioned a possible gunshot in addition to stabbing or beating, though police said the exact weapon remained unclear pending the formal medical report.
Barla, who is diabetic, was first taken to Khunti Sadar Hospital for emergency treatment and then transferred to Pulse Hospital in Ranchi because of the severity of his head and neck injuries. Hospital sources said he received a blood transfusion Thursday and remained under close observation. Early police statements described his condition as stable at one point, but later reports continued to list it as critical.
Khunti Superintendent of Police Rishabha Garg said officers responded after receiving a report around 9 a.m. Wednesday and immediately began reviewing CCTV footage and other evidence. A special investigation team was later formed. No arrests had been reported as of Thursday evening. Benjamin declined to speculate on the motive or the identity of the attackers, saying church leaders would wait for the police investigation and did not want rumors to create divisions.
The attack prompted protests by tribal Christian groups and other residents in Khunti. Demonstrators blocked roads for several hours Wednesday, including near Bhagat Singh Chowk, and later issued a 24-hour ultimatum for the arrest of those responsible. Local officials visited the hospital, and some Christian organizations publicly condemned the violence and demanded swift action.
The incident occurred in a region where church leaders have previously reported attacks on Christians and church property, though investigators have not established a clear motive in this case. Christian persecution has become increasingly common in this state and across India. Police continued to examine footage and other evidence Thursday as Barla’s medical team monitored his condition.
Cover Image: Father Benedict Barla is a Roman Catholic priest and school principal.
