Catholic Priest and Six Others Arrested in Uttar Pradesh on Allegations of Conversion
GG News Bureau
Lucknow, 8th Feb. Police in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state have arrested seven individuals, including a Catholic priest and five Protestant pastors, over accusations of attempting to convert Hindus to Christianity.
The arrest of Catholic Father Dominic Pinto of Lucknow diocese and six others was done on February 5 following a complaint from hard-line Hindu activists in Barabanki district. The activists claimed that a mass religious conversion gathering occurred at the diocesan pastoral center in Navintha.
Father Donald D’Souza, chancellor and spokesperson of Lucknow diocese, refuted the allegations, stating that Father Pinto did not attend the prayer gathering but merely provided space for it at the pastoral center, a common practice. He emphasized that the gatherings were organized by individuals who follow Christ’s teachings but have not converted to Christianity.
The police complaint, filed at Deva police station, accused 15 individuals, including five women, of violating the state’s stringent anti-conversion law. The complainant alleged that poor Hindus, including women and children from socially disadvantaged Dalit communities, were being lured to Christianity.
A Christian leader, who preferred anonymity, reported that a group of Hindus attempted to assault women at the prayer gathering and protested in front of the police station, demanding the inclusion of the Catholic priest’s name in the complaint.
The arrested individuals spent the night in police custody and were expected to appear before a magistrate for further investigation.
This incident adds to the growing number of arrests under Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion law, which requires individuals to inform district authorities of their intent to change religion 30 days before the planned ceremony and prove that the conversion was not forced or coerced. Violators face up to 10 years in jail along with fines.
India’s Supreme Court is currently reviewing petitions challenging anti-conversion laws in the country.
Uttar Pradesh has seen a surge in persecution against Christians in recent years, with the state accounting for a significant portion of incidents targeting Christians nationwide. Despite comprising only 0.18 percent of the state’s population, Christians face escalating challenges in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.
