A group of men in Telangana state, southern India, attacked two Christian girls who were accused of trying to convert Hindus to Christianity. A video of the assault became public in early November 2026 and has angered many across the country. Police have arrested two of the attackers after protests by the local Christian community. The incident happened about two months earlier, near the city of Hyderabad.
What happened
The incident took place in Almasguda, in Maheshwaram mandal, under the Meerpet police station area of Rangareddy district. In the video, a group of men confronts the two young women, who appear to be minors. The men accuse them of offering chocolates to school children to convert them to Christianity.
The girls deny the accusation. They say they were only visiting relatives in the area. One of the men slaps them and verbally abuses them in public. A woman sits nearby but does not try to stop the men. The girls can be heard apologizing as the attacker keeps hitting them. One girl's glasses are broken by a blow to her face.
After the video spread online, members of Dalit Christian organizations held street protests on November 4. They demanded the arrest of the attackers. Local Hindu groups answered with counter-slogans. Telangana state police sent extra officers and used force to prevent a larger riot.
Context
Dalit Christians are people in the Indian subcontinent who converted to Christianity from low-caste backgrounds once labeled "untouchable." International Christian Concern says the attackers' conversion claim is a common accusation used by some Hindu nationalists in India. The group says the claim is often unsupported by evidence and is used to justify street-level violence. The group says the case shows a wider trend of unofficial moral policing in the country.
Former Telangana minister Sabitha Indra Reddy condemned the attack on X. She said complaints about religious freedom should be handled through the courts, not through violence against women.
What to watch
Christian leaders, political figures and human rights advocates have called for an impartial investigation and protection for the victims. International Christian Concern reports that the police have arrested the main attackers. Further charges and court proceedings were not reported in the source material.
