Kerala Pastor Arrested in Uttar Pradesh on Religious Conversion Charges; Action Based on Bajrang Dal Complaint

Lucknow: Pastor Jose Thomas, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, was arrested in Uttar Pradesh on charges of religious conversion following a complaint by Bajrang Dal.

This follows a similar case last month, when Pastor Albin, who hails from Vattapara in Thiruvananthapuram, was taken into custody by police in Ghatampur near Kanpur on a complaint by Bajrang Dal district convener Shubham Shaurya Agnihotri. Albin’s family was initially detained but later released, and the pastor was granted bail a week later.

In a similar incident, in Maharashtra, priest Sudheer of the CSI Church Nagpur Mission, along with his wife Jasmine, family members, and friends, were arrested on similar charges of religious conversion. The arrests occurred during a Christmas prayer meeting in Shingodi, Nagpur, based on a complaint by Bajrang Dal activists. The Varud court later granted bail to Sudhir, his wife, and nine others arrested in connection with the case.