On 30 July, an amendment to Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion legislation was passed in an effort to strengthen the state’s existing laws. In particular, major changes were made to the severity of punishments imposed on convicted individuals. Since the amended law was brought into effect, a pastor and his wife were found guilty on 22 January and sentenced to five years imprisonment. They also received a large fine.
Pastor Jose Pappachan and his wife Sheeja were accused of attempting to convert “vulnerable people”. The complainant in the case said that the pastor and his wife had allegedly conducted “mass conversions” during a gathering on 25 December 2022. However, the ministering couple argued that they were simply providing education and encouraging sobriety among members of the impoverished Dalit community.
Both Pastor Jose and Sheeja served eight months in prison in 2023 before being released on bail. At the bail hearing, the High Court ruled that distributing Bibles, encouraging education and acts of public charity do not constitute attempts to conduct forced religious conversions. Despite this positive former ruling, the original charges against the Christians were upheld, leading to their recent conviction on 22 January. The couple intends to appeal the local court’s decision.
Christian leaders and lawyers in India have expressed concerns that this judgement may serve as a precedent for the hundreds of other believers who have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh under anti-conversion laws.
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