On October 30, 2017 afternoon Justice S.C. Sharma and Justice Alok Verma of Indore High Court released seven children to their parents and directed the Home Secretary and SHO to submit their affidavits on the next hearing date 06-11-2017 as to why the children were detained and kept away from their parents for seven days. On 23-10-2017, at the Indore Railway Station, seven children along with two guardians were to board for Mumbai for Bible Studies and other functions to be held at Goregaon, Mumbai. Around 3 PM, a mob of 200 persons from the Hindu Dharm Jagran Manch stopped them at the station and began abusing the guardians and the children in front of police personnel alleging that the children are being taken for conversion. The two guardians were arrested and the 7 children were taken to a children home. Since then, the children were not allowed to return to their parents. On 25-10-2017, the parents filed representations to the IG, DSP and the concerned SHO for immediate release of the children.

On 30th October 2017 Justices SC Sharma and Alok Verma directed the children to be produced before the Court and the IG and SP were summoned.

In the afternoon all seven children were released to their parents. The Home Secretary and SHO were directed to submit their affidavits as to why the children were detained and kept away from their parents for seven days. They have also been directed to appear before the court on the next hearing date 06-11-2017.

This is becoming a politically motivated pattern in Madhya Pradesh as it is the second such incident within a few months. Earlier 71 Christian children going for a Christian retreat were taken into custody from two railway stations on the false allegation of being “kidnapped to be converted.” That matter is still pending in Court. However, through the intervention of ADF India lawyers, the Christians were released on bail in that case.

Ms. Tehmina Arora & Mr A C Michael