Bhubaneswar: Police on Thursday detained five more persons in connection with the assault and public humiliation of a pastor on allegations of forced religious conversion in Dhenkanal district.Four more were detained in the case on Wednesday, but no arrests have been made so far. Dhenkanal SP Abhinav Sonkar said all those detained are being questioned and, if the circumstantial evidence supports accusations against them, they will be arrested.Police registered an FIR on Jan 13 following a complaint by the victim’s wife that, while conducting a prayer session in their village, her husband was assaulted by a mob of 15-20 people. They also smeared sindoor on his face, garlanded him with footwear, and paraded him through the village. They allegedly forced him to drink drain water and bow before a temple against his will, accusing him of involvement in forced religious conversions.
