A Christian woman was brutally attacked and murdered at the St. Mary’s Cathedral Church compound in Varanasi, India, on Jan. 1, marking the second murder in that city this year, raising concerns among the community, according to local media.
The victim, identified only as Victoria, was believed to be around 50 years old and resided in Gumla, Jharkhand state. She lived with her sister, Retina, in the staff quarters of the church and used to help with work at the church compound.
According to Ronald Benjamin Nadar, a senior member of the church and president of the Uttar Pradesh Catholic Union, the assailant, identified in media reports as Jitendra, also known by his alias Chetu, reportedly entered the church through the back gate while the security guard was away. Seizing the opportunity, he broke into Victoria’s room, which was left unattended as Retina had already gone to work around 7:30 a.m. local time.
When the guard returned to his post, some women informed him about the unidentified man who they had seen enter the compound. The women also informed the guard that they had seen the man go near the staff quarters.
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