While rejecting bail of a person accused of being involved in religious conversion, the Allahabad High Court has observed that if the process of conversion is allowed to be carried out, the majority population of the country would be minority one day.
Rejecting the bail application of one Kailash, who allegedly took a man to religious congregation, where he was converted to Christianity, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal observed, “If this process is allowed to be carried out, the majority population of this country would be in minority one day, and such religious congregation should be immediately stopped where the conversion is taking place and changing religion of citizen of India”.
Lamenting rampant incidents of conversion, the court further said, “It has come into notice of this court in several cases that unlawful activity of conversion of people of SC/ST castes and other castes including economically poor persons into Christianity is being done at rampant pace throughout the state of Uttar Pradesh”.
Elaborating freedom of religion, the court added, “It is against the Constitutional mandate of Article 25 of the Constitution of India which does not provide for religious conversion, it only provides freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion. “The word ‘Propagation’ means to promote, but it does not mean to convert any person from his religion to another religion”, the court further added.
The applicant Kailash had sought bail in case crime no-201 of 2023 under section 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) of IPC and section 3/5(1) of the UP prohibition of unlawful conversion of religion Act, 2021 at police station – Maudaha of Hamirpur district during the pendency of trial.
As per FIR, one Ramphal, brother of the informant Ramkali Prajapati was taken by the applicant- Kailash from Hamirpur to Delhi for attending the social gathering and ceremony for the well-being. According to the FIR, many persons from the said village were taken to social gathering and were converted into Christianity. The applicant had promised the informant that her brother who was suffering from mental illness will be treated and shall be returned to his native village within a week. When the brother of the informant did not return after a week, she asked the applicant that her brother has not returned, however, she did not get any satisfactory reply.
During the court proceedings, the counsel for the applicant submitted that Ramphal, brother of the informant was not converted into Christianity, nor he is Christian. He had attended the gathering of Christian faith and well-being along with several other persons. The applicant has no role to play. It was one Sonu Paster who was holding such gathering, and he has already been enlarged on bail.
Opposing the bail application, the additional advocate general appearing for the state submitted that by holding such gathering, huge number of persons are being converted into Christianity by these persons who are being paid huge money. Further, in the statements of witnesses, it has been stated that the applicant- Kailash had been taking away people from the village for converting them into Christianity, and for this act he was being paid huge money.
After hearing both sides, the court in its order dated July 1 said that this court, prima facie, finds that the applicant is not entitled for bail.