A priest of Lucknow Catholic diocese was among seven people remanded to judicial custody on February 6 for allegedly trying to convert poor Hindus.
Father Dominic Pinto and others were presented before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Barabanki, some 90 km northwest of Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh state. The arrested included five Protestant pastors.
The court remanded them in judicial custody.
Father Pinto is the director of Navintha, the pastoral center of Lucknow diocese, that was used by the Protestant pastors and around 100 Khrist Bhakts (followers of Christ) for their routine prayer meeting.
The arrest took place on February 5 after they were accused of trying to convert the poor to Christianity.
The arrest took place after Hindu radicals protested in front of Navintha that comes under the Deva police station in Barabanki district.
The First Information Report named 15 persons, including five women, as accused.
The arrested are charged under the provisions of the state’s anti-conversion law and, if found guilty, they could be imprisoned for a maximum of 10 years.
“Our people are arrested based on totally baseless charges,” bemoans Father Donald de Souza, chancellor and spokesperson of Lucknow diocese.