In India, a family of three was murdered for converting to Christianity

On January 25, 2026, tragedy struck in the Indian state of Odisha: a family of three, including a 15-year-old girl, was murdered in Nialijaran village of Keonjhar district. The reason for the killing was the conversion of the victims to Christianity, which caused a conflict with relatives who adhere to traditional tribal beliefs. This is reported by Christian Daily.

According to the publication, close relatives of the killed were involved in the brutal massacre. Initially, the police considered the version of domestic or land conflict as a motive for the crime, but representatives of the murdered family insist that the real reason was a change of religion. The family had converted to Christianity only a few months ago, which had caused strong resentment among their traditional tribal relatives.

The deceased man and woman were left with three children. Two of the daughters witnessed the tragic events first-hand, but were fortunately able to escape. Their brother was outside the house at the time of the murder, which also allowed him to escape death. The Christian community of India calls for an immediate and fair investigation of this crime, and also asks for prayers for the surviving children who lost their parents.

Recall, earlier we reported that in the Indian state of Maharashtra, in the village of Midapalli, four Christian families lost their homes, which were demolished by neighbors after refusing to renounce their faith. The local police reportedly not only failed to help the victims, but also sided with the persecutors. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is calling on state authorities to urgently intervene in the situation.