Hindu radicals beat pastor and his pregnant wife, try to burn them alive as Christian persecution persists in India

Two Hindu radicals reportedly beat a pastor and his pregnant wife after posing as fellow believers at a church in Chhattisgarh, India. The Hindu extremists then doused the couple with petrol and tried to burn them alive, the Gospel Herald reports.

Pastor Deenbandhu Sameli and his wife Meena managed to flee the church and escaped from the Hindu mob. They are now safe, according to the Hindu Times.

The two Hindu extremists reportedly entered the church during a Sunday night service and pretended to be members of another Christian church.

When the Indian Christian couple welcomed them in, the men immediately beat the pastor and his pregnant wife. They then poured petrol on the stunned couple. They also doused the Bible and other religious materials in the church with petrol before lighting a fire to set them ablaze, according to the report.

"This was the third attack on the religious premises of Christian community in the region,"said Arun Pannalal, president of Chhattisgarh's Christian Forum.

"It was carried out by the goons of Bajrang Dal, and the police are trying to cover it up," he added.

He claimed that the two attackers were armed with a knife, hammer, and a sword when they got inside the church.

Meanwhile, Bastar SP RN Dash vowed to find the culprits and place them behind bars.

He claimed that the police immediately arrived at the scene after the attack was reported.

About 2.3 percent of India's entire population of about 25 million are Christians. Many of them reportedly belong to the social class known as the Untouchables or Dalits, which is the poorest group in the country, according to Premiere.

As of last year, an Evangelical Fellowship report recorded at least 177 cases of Christian persecution in India.

The same report, however, noted that the number of actual cases may be higher since some incidents may not have been reported to authorities.

India is ranked 17th on Open Door USA's World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most persecution. The report notes that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, radical Hinduism, which was already present under the previous government, has increased steadily.

"While intolerance has risen, and minorities are constantly attacked, the central government has refused to speak out against the atrocities – thus further encouraging the radical Hindus to step up their actions. The level of impunity has gone up markedly for those who push for a completely Hindu India."