Burial row in Chhattisgarh turns violent; church vandalized, body exhumed

Communal tension erupted in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district on Monday after villagers in Jamgaon vandalised a church over the burial of Somlal Rathore, a tribal man who had reportedly converted to Christianity. The incident took a legal turn when the deceased’s brother alleged foul play and demanded the body be exhumed for postmortem.

Rathore, who died two days earlier from an illness, was buried by his family on their private land within the village. However, several villagers objected, arguing that burial within the village was unacceptable for someone who had left the traditional tribal faith.

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Amid growing unrest, a group of villagers stormed the local church and damaged property. Around the same time, Rathore’s brother submitted a formal application alleging suspicion of unnatural death.

“In response to the application, the body was exhumed in the presence of a magistrate and sent to Narharpur Health Centre for autopsy,” said Kanker Collector Nilesh Kshirsagar. “Legal protocols are being strictly followed.”

Superintendent of Police I. Kalyan Elesela confirmed that a complaint regarding the vandalism has been received. “Investigations are underway, and appropriate legal action will be taken. The situation is under control,” he added.

The incident mirrors a recent and widely followed case in Bastar district, where Ramesh Baghel, the son of a deceased Christian pastor, had to keep his father’s body in a Jagdalpur hospital mortuary for 20 days while seeking legal permission to bury him in their native village, Chhindawada. After a split verdict from a two-judge Supreme Court bench, Justice B.V. Nagarathna invoked Article 142 of the Constitution to permit the burial in a Christian graveyard at Karkapal, 25 km away.