A Catholic priest who spent ten days in judicial custody for “conversion” alleges a plot to get him killed in the jail.

“They tried to kill me inch by inch,” Father Benoy John, who was released on bail on September 16, told the Malayala Manorama newspaper.

The 42-year-old priest was arrested on September 6 along with catechist Munna Hansada from a Catholic mission in Rajadaha village under Godda district of Jharkhand State.

Father John, who was fitted with a pacemaker two years ago, said the junior officials of the jail gave him medicines for fever when he complained of severe heart pain.

“I pleaded them with tears to take me to a hospital, which is just two minutes away, but they refused,” recalled the priest, a native of Kerala serving the diocese of Bhagalpur, for the past four years. He also said the jail’s pharmaceutical compounder treated him.