Father Benedict Barla alias Benny, principal of St Michael School, was found unconscious and bleeding on the school premises on Wednesday morning. (Express photo)The principal of a missionary school in Jharkhand’s Khunti district was allegedly attacked by three masked men on Tuesday night and found unconscious the next morning with serious head injuries, a church official said.Father Benedict Barla alias Benny, principal of St Michael School, was found unconscious and bleeding on the school premises on Wednesday morning.Bisu Benjamin, Vicar General of the Koti Diocese, told The Indian Express that CCTV footage showed three masked men entering the premises around 9 pm on Tuesday. “From the CCTV footage, it appears that three people wearing masks entered on a bike. It seems they may have entered the office and attacked the principal when he came across them. They appear to have used whatever they could find there to hit him,” Benjamin said.Barla was taken to Khunti Sadar Hospital for initial treatment and later shifted to Pulse Hospital in Ranchi.“As Barla was already diabetic, doctors were trying to stabilise his condition before considering surgery,” he said.Benjamin said the school was closed on Tuesday for a festival and the person who usually stays with Barla had left to attend his mother’s funeral. He returned after the burial early Wednesday morning. “The attackers may have known that the principal was alone,” he said, though he declined to speculate about their identity or motive.“We do not want to speculate about who could be behind this. We will wait for the administration and police to investigate. We do not want rumours to spread and create divisions in society,” Benjamin said.Story continues below this adALSO READ | Jharkhand has the greatest mineral wealth – and great poverty. It’s an administrative failureKhunti Superintendent of Police Rishav Garg said the police received information about the attack at around 9 am on Wednesday and the injured priest was taken to Sadar Hospital for initial treatment and subsequently referred to a higher medical centre. Police personnel were accompanying him, the SP said.“Police are examining CCTV footage and other available evidence to identify the attacker,” he said, adding that efforts are underway to apprehend those responsible.Asked about the weapon used, the SP said the police did not yet have clear information and this can be confirmed after the formal injury report is received. Barla’s condition was stable at the time of the statement.While Khunti MP and other people visited the hospital on Wednesday to enquire about his health, Adivasi groups and Christian organisations took to the streets to protest in Khunti’s Bhagat Singh Chowk.Shubham Tigga is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, presently based in Pune, where he covers the intersections of infrastructure, labor, and the modern economy. His reporting focuses on civil aviation, urban mobility, the gig economy, and workers' unions, providing critical insights into how transit and commercial sectors impact the daily lives of citizens. Expertise & Background Before moving to Pune, he reported extensively from his home state of Chhattisgarh, where he focused on Indigenous (Adivasi) issues, environmental justice, and grassroots struggles in mainland India. This experience gives him a unique lens through which he analyzes the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects on local communities. Academic Foundation He is an alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), where he honed his skills in investigative reporting and ethical journalism. His academic training, combined with his field experience in Central India, allows him to navigate complex socio-economic landscapes with nuance and accuracy. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More Tags:Jharkhand