SHUATS mass religious conversion case| Supreme Court allows 4 weeks to State of UP to file reply
Recently, UP Police had informed the Supreme Court that on April 14, 2022, locals informed about forcible conversion of Hindus and Muslims into Christianity in Evangelical Church of India situated at Hariharganj, Fatehpur to the Hindu rights organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Upon this information, the police reached at the said church, where it was found that about 90 Hindus and Muslims are being subjected to conversion.
The Supreme Court today acceded to the request made by State of Uttar Pradesh seeking time to file its reply in the pleas filed by Director and Vice Chancellor of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Science (SHUATS) at Prayagraj, accused of converting persons by allurement and use of threats and coercion.
"On request being made, we grant time of 4 weeks to the State of UP to file a counter affidavit. List in 2nd week of July", a CJI Chandrachud led bench ordered today.
The bench also comprising Justices Pardiwala and Narasimha has also extended the interim protection granted to the two accused petitoners.
Recently, the Uttar Pradesh police had filed a affidavit before the Supreme Court vehemently opposing any relief to the accused alleging that they had received over Rs 34 crores from several foreign countries and used it for illegal conversion.
"During the course of Investigation it has been found that the since 2005 around Rs 34,44,54,855.00 has been received in the FCRA account of SHUATS from various countries including USA, Afghanistan, Japan, Libya Iraq, Germany, Canada, Guyana, Uganda, Ethopia, Bahrain, Netherlands, Phillipines, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Australia, Nepal, Bhutan and Nigeria," the affidavit said.
The funds are received from foreign countries to SHUATS from where it is transmitted to the "Yeshu Darbar Trust" and further distributed in cash to the Pastors of the churches involved in the said offence as well as staff of Broadwell hospital which further uses the said money for illegal conversion of the marginalised people of Hindu and Muslim faith to Christianity by allurement and fraud, the police alleged in an affidavit.
It has also been claimed that during searches conducted at an organization named Word Vision, India Branch, Civil Lines, Fatehpur, certain pamphlets and documents were seized advertising the benefits of conversion to Christianity as well as the list of items used for alluring people.
"The pamphlets so found also mentioned that an amount of Rs. 35,000 will be given to people who get themselves converted to Christianity and further if someone induces other people to get converted to Christianity then they will get an extra bonus amount, furthermore, if someone becomes preacher of Christianity then will be provided a monthly salary of Rs 25,000 and if some person converts 5 to 10 people then will get extra bonus amount," the affidavit filed by Circle Officer, Fatehpur, stated.
Case Title: Vinod Bihari Lal Vs. The State of Uttar Pradesh & Anr.