Originally published in My Christian Daily
A Christian couple in India has been sentenced to five years in prison for ‘attempting to convert’, breaking an anti-conversion law in the process.
A special court in Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India has convicted a Christian couple of attempting to convert under the state’s anti-conversion law, sentencing each of them to five years’ imprisonment and fines of R5 300 (25 000 rupees).
According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Jose and Sheeja Pappachan were sentenced on January 22 under Section 3 of the state’s Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which prohibits religious conversion through force, misrepresentation, coercion, or other fraudulent means.
The complaint was first filed by Chandrika Prasad Upadhyay, a member of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) serving in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, in January 2023, accusing the couple of attempting to convert vulnerable people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to Christianity.
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The couple has denied the allegations, stating that all they had done was provide education and encourage sobriety.
“CSW is alarmed by the manner in which Christians in India today are being systematically attacked,” CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said.
“For merely exercising their constitutional rights and adhering to their religious convictions, this couple has become the target of a harmful piece of legislation. CSW urges the authorities to objectively investigate the matter and not be influenced by far-right religious rhetoric which has caused immense division in Indian society.”
The couple was immediately jailed and spent eight months in detention whilst their trial was ongoing.
In September 2023 they were granted bail by the Allahabad High Court on the basis that ‘providing good teachings, distributing the Holy Bible, encouraging children to get an education, organizing assemblies of villagers and conducting bhandaras [community meals], instructing villagers not to argue and also not drink liquor does not amount to allurement.’
The court also pointed out that at the time the complaint was made the aforementioned law only permitted alleged victims or close family members to file a complaint.
However, the law was amended on July 29 last year to allow third parties to file a complaint.
The order of the special court has been heavily criticised by Christian leaders in India. The verdict has also caused severe distress to the couple, with Mr Pappachan having to be hospitalised for severe anxiety.
The couple can appeal the sentencing at the Allahabad High Court or the Supreme Court of India.
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