In a shocking incident that has triggered widespread outrage on social media, Tamil Nadu police have arrested Christian pastor Kingsley Gilbert (42) for violently beating his three children. The pastor allegedly believed they were “possessed by Satan” after they played with children from Hindu families in the neighbourhood.
Social media users condemned the incident. One post read: “Tamil Nadu Pastor Kingsley saw his children playing with a Hindu child. At first, he thought about the ‘love thy neighbour’ BS he preaches. But then he remembered he lives in Tamil Nadu, where ministers and deputy CMs openly spit venom against Hindus. Then he remembered the true history of Christianity. So he beat up his own children black and blue. Church-controlled Tamil Nadu media suppressed this ‘religion of love’ news. Hence, YOU must share it!”
In what appears to be a deliberate effort to downplay the seriousness of the incident and protect the minority accused, Sun News, a channel owned by Kalanidhi Maran and often termed the unofficial mouthpiece of the ruling DMK, concealed key details. It presented a watered-down version of events, describing the incident simply as the arrest of a “father” for assaulting his 8-year-old son. Their news card labelled Gilbert only as a “priest” and omitted the religious context that allegedly triggered the abuse.
Their report stated: “Priest Kingsley was arrested for repeatedly assaulting his 8-year-old son with a skipping rope in the Karungal area of Kanyakumari district. A video has surfaced showing the injured boy, sitting with visible wounds, being comforted by children from a neighbouring house who say, ‘We will take care of you, okay?’ This has sparked a stir. District child welfare officials rescued the boy, admitted him to hospital for treatment, and filed a report with the police.”
#JustNow | 8 வயது சிறுவனை கொடூரமாக தாக்கிய தந்தை கைது#SunNews | #Kanyakumari | #Crime pic.twitter.com/WwaRLCYAE5
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) May 30, 2025
In his confession to police, the arrested Christian father said he was upset that his children were friendly with Hindu children.
“Every day, I would lock them inside the house before leaving for church service. On May 29, when I returned, I was shocked to find them missing. I found them playing with the neighbours’ children. I thought they were possessed by Satan for leaving the house. I tied them with a rope and intended to brand them to drive out the evil spirits. I beat them harshly with skipping ropes,” he reportedly said.
Acting on complaints from neighbours, police rescued all three children – two sons aged 6 yrs and 3 yrs, and an 8-month-old baby girl. All of them had sustained serious injuries and were admitted to hospital. Gilbert’s wife has been identified as Sajjini.
குமரி கருங்கல் அருகே பக்கத்து வீட்டு குழந்தைகளுடன் விளையாடியதால் குழந்தைகளிடம் சாத்தான் புகுந்ததாக கூறி சொந்த குழந்தைகளை கொலைலெறி தாக்குதல் நடத்திய மதவெறி பிடித்த மிருக தந்தை இவன் பாஸ்டராம்..!!🤧🤧 pic.twitter.com/7DTnHMyCeh
— н α я ι (@Hari46620091) May 31, 2025
The unfortunate aspect of this case is the way the media has reported it. Despite this being a cruel and shocking incident involving minors, mainstream outlets aligned with Dravidian party lines refrained from mentioning crucial facts – including that the accused is a Christian pastor and that the assault was triggered by the children associating with Hindu neighbours. This whitewashing of the communal and religious angle severely undermines the truth. Journalism of this nature has no place in a civilised and democratic society, where the media is expected to act as a neutral and independent fourth pillar.
Critics have added: “It is often said that only Muslims consider Hindus as kafirs who are to be killed to gain entry into heaven. Across the globe, many Muslims proclaim non-Muslims as kafirs and believe they must either convert or face death. The Qur’an dictates repeatedly that its followers must convert others to Islam or kill those who refuse. Christians too harbour similar sentiments, albeit less openly. There are reports alleging genocide of children and women in some Western countries for refusing to convert to Christianity. Mass burial sites have been found to lend credence to such claims.”
“This zero tolerance for other religions – their customs and rituals – is a dangerous mindset that undermines coexistence in a multi-faith society. The sheer lack of civic sense is proof of this, and it must be rectified in time,” they added.
What happened in Tamil Nadu is not just a case of child abuse, it is results of evangelical indoctrination that teaches Christians to see Hindus as ‘Satans’, it doesn’t just stay in pulpits or pamphlets; it invades homes, corrupts conscience, and destroys innocence. Here, a father was so blinded by hate-fuelled theology that he brutalised his own children for the simple act of playing with Hindu neighbours.
This is not tolerance. This is not love. And this certainly is not the “Good News” that many missionaries claim to spread. A mediviel barbarism, still available in the form of Christian torture museums across Europe.
As per Centre for Policy studies, Tamil Nadu has the second largest number of Christians in the country after Kerala. In 2011, there are 44 lakh Christians in Tamil Nadu and 61 lakh in Kerala. These two southernmost States of India thus accommodate more than a crore of the total 2.8 crore Christians in the country. The share of Christians in Tamil Nadu is 6.1 percent, which is also the second highest among the major States of India, though the proportion of Christians is high.
