A 42-year-old Christian pastor named Kingsley from Karungal, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, was taken into custody for allegedly beating his two young sons because they played with a Hindu child from the neighbourhood.

Kingsley lives with his wife and three children in an apartment. Reports say he frequently took his wife and infant to church sermons, leaving his 6-year-old and 3-year-old sons locked at home.

On May 29, Kingsley returned home and found his sons playing outside with neighbourhood children, including a Hindu boy. Angered by this, he dragged his sons inside and allegedly assaulted them with skipping ropes.

Neighbours, alarmed by the children’s cries, alerted the District Child Protection Unit and local police. Officials found visible injuries and marks on the boys’ bodies. The children told officials their father was upset because they played with Hindu kids.

Kingsley has been charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)—including 296(b) for obscene acts, 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt, and 351(3) for criminal intimidation—as well as Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act for cruelty to children.

The case highlights issues of religious intolerance and child protection.