“The family had to finally bury the body at Sankra burial ground away from Jewartala village on Sunday. The villagers didn't allow a burial place owing to the religious conversion (to Christianity) of the family”, Balod district police chief Yogesh Patel told TNIE.

In both instances, the only argument raised by the villagers on not allowing a burial place was that the deceased had embraced Christianity as their faith, the police said.

With the villagers remaining adamant, the administration kept the body in a mortuary as the efforts continued to get the last rites of the deceased be performed.

The district authorities failed to convince the local villagers to resolve the issue.

“The Christians are being blatantly denied their constitutional right of dignified burial at their native places, while the authorities were largely seen as helpless before the mob, who are instigated at the behest of some. As per the law, the area is already earmarked for burial. Article 19 of the Constitution prohibits incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence”, reacted Arun Pannalal, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum.

Earlier, a resident of Kanker’s Kodekurse village, Manoj Nishad, 25, died on November 5 during treatment in Raipur. He converted to Christianity months ago.

The villagers didn't allow his body to be buried in the private land owned by the Nishad family. The members of the Christian community protested at the local police station, demanding that the body be allowed to be buried in the native village.

Amid the hostile situation prevailing, the villagers in Kodekurse declared that if the family renounced their religion (religious re-conversion), the villagers would not have any issue allowing for performing the last rites.