Nagpur/Amravati, Dec 31 (UNI) A court in Maharashtra today granted conditional bail to a Kerala-based priest Father Sudheer of the CSI South Kerala Diocese and seven others, who were arrested in Nagpur over allegations of forced religious conversion.
The arrests followed complaints filed by Bajrang Dal activists during a Christmas prayer gathering held at Shinkori village in Warud taluka of Amravati district.
Among those detained was Father Sudheer’s wife, Jasmine. The group was taken into custody amid protests by activists, who later demonstrated outside the Banod police station demanding legal action.
Sources reported that Father Sudheer and his wife had earlier received threats from Bajrang Dal members. Based on the complaint, police registered a case under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, citing allegations of hurting religious sentiments.
Responding to the charges, Jasmine stated that no religious conversions had taken place and clarified that the group had merely attended a birthday celebration and Christmas prayers at a friend’s home when the incident occurred.
The arrests triggered political reactions in Kerala. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Leader of the Opposition in the state, strongly protesting the arrests and seeking immediate intervention.
In his letter, Satheesan noted that Father Sudheer, a native of Amaravila in Thiruvananthapuram, has been serving in Maharashtra for the past five years.
He emphasized that detaining individuals for participating in a peaceful prayer meeting violates fundamental constitutional rights, particularly the freedom to profess and practice religion.
Satheesan urged the authorities to ensure the release of all those arrested and to take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Subsequently, the local court granted conditional bail to Father Sudheer, his wife and the other accused.
The CSI Church leadership expressed serious concern over what it described as repeated attacks on Christians and sent a delegation to Nagpur to assist with legal proceedings.
Church authorities also announced plans to organize protests against the actions of Bajrang Dal activists.
While Father Sudheer and his team, who have been working in Amravati for five years, continue to face legal challenges, the court’s decision to grant bail has been widely viewed as a relief.
