A pastor in Uttar Pradesh state was filing affidavits on 18 June stating that 16 people had become Christians of their own free will when Hindu extremists came and accused him of forcible conversion, resulting in his incarceration.
After manhandling and jailing 58-year-old Dependra Prakash, the Hindu extremists then went to the 16 new Christians’ homes and threatened to expel them if they did not recant their faith.
Someone on the court premises had informed the extremists about the affidavits, and a few members of the Bajrang Dal (youth wing of the Hindu extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad) approached and questioned Pastor Maleywar about the affidavits. Checking the pastor’s bag and grabbing the affidavits, they accused him of forcible and fraudulent conversion.
Taken into custody
Officers at the adjacent Sardana police station noticed the commotion, took Pastor Maleywar into custody and transferred him to the Abdullapur jail near Meerut, 14 miles away. They confiscated his phone and all the affidavits.
The affidavits are not legally required in Uttar Pradesh, but church leaders request them to avoid controversies and the very kind of accusations that occurred. The affidavits are self-declarations that the signees willingly choose to follow Christ, want to get baptised and are not coerced or offered inducements. The individuals usually obtain them for themselves.
Local TV reported the incident, with many people from church testifying about the work of God in the church. However, the interviews were cut and the people were shown only saying that they were once Hindus.
