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In a first in India, a court has jailed a Christian couple for five years for attempting to convert people in a northern state, considered a hotbed of anti-Christian activities.
A special court in Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkar Nagar district, which deals with cri-mes against socially poor castes, convicted Pastor Jose Pappa-chan and his wife, Sheeja Pappachan on Jan. 22.
They were sentenced to five years imprisonment and each fined 25,000 rupees. “This is the first time we have en-countered such a sentence for a suspected conversion attempt,” said A.C. Michael, a Christian leader who monitors anti-Chri-stian activities in the country.
He said the verdict and punishment “for a suspected attempt to convert will not stand the scrutiny of a higher court.” An attempt to convert is “not a recognized crime under the law,” Michael said.
Pastor Joy Mathew, who has been assisting the couple, said the judgment was “biased.” “We will challenge it in the High Court, the top court in the state,” Mathew told.
“There was no evidence on record to substantiate the con-version charges, but still, they were convicted,” he said.
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