Allahabad HC Grants Interim Relief to Two Accused in Illegal Mass Religious Conversion Case
Allegedly, people were lured to convert to Christianity by offering them free medical assistance, job as well as monetary benefits.
The Allahabad High Court recently granted interim relief to two men accused of luring Hindus for unlawful conversion to Christianity by offering them monetary and other benefits.
A single judge bench comprising Justice Manju Rani Chauhan ordered that if the accused persons appear before the investigation officer on February 13, 2023, and surrender their passports, if any, the investigating officer shall ensure that neither the two accused be arrested nor any coercive action is taken against them till February 15.
"It is also directed that the Senior Officials, as well as Investigating Officer, concerned shall ensure that the applicant be not arrested on 13th and 15th February 2023 when he comes to cooperate in the investigation," the court directed.
Court passed the order in the pleas filed by one Vinod Bihari Lal and Prof. (Dr.) Rajendra Bihari Lal seeking anticipatory bail in the present case.
When the pleas (not tagged together) were taken up for hearing, court raised some specific queries over certain cognate issues and then an adjournment was sought on behalf of both parties for the day.
Moreover, Addl. Advocate General also sought some more time to render further assistance in the matter "to establish an indiscernible multipronged act of the accused".
Allegations are that the accused persons, apart from forcing illegal mass conversions, collected and siphoned foreign funds for the divergent purpose of luring innocent poor and physically impaired persons who admittedly were either patients in the Hospital of the accused Mission or were in any manner connected with Missionaries running across the State.
Therefore, acceding to the request made by the counsel appearing for both parties, court adjourned the matter and listed it on February 16, 2023, for further hearing.
In the meanwhile, court stayed the arrest of the present two accused persons in the matter.
The FIR in the case was lodged under Sections 153A, 506, 420, 467, 468 I.P.C. and Sections- 3/5(1) of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act by one Himanshu Dixit who alleged that on April 15, 2022, around 90 Hindus had congregated at the Evangelical Church of India, Hariharganj, Fatehpur for the purpose of their conversion to Christianity.
When this information was received, Government officers reached the place and interrogated the pastor–Vijay Massiah who disclosed that the said process for conversion was going on for the last 34 days and would complete within 40 days.
The Government officers found 35 persons (named in the FIR) and 20 unknown persons as having been involved in this conversion matter. 26 persons were arrested on the spot.
The allegations against the accused persons also included that they had been trying to convert even patients admitted to the Mission Hospital and the employees of the hospital played an active role in it.
One of the witnesses in his statement under Section 161 CrPC had said that during the medical treatment of one of his family members, he got acquainted with a woman named Lily See, who advised him to convert to Christianity for after that he will be given medical assistance free of cost all his life and his kids will be given jobs as well as money.
The accused pastor has already been granted bail in the matter.
Case Title: Prof. (Dr.) Rajendra Bihari Lal v. State of U.P. and Another along with Vinod Bihari Lal v. State of U.P. and Another
Statute: Indian Penal Code and Sections- 3/5(1) of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act