Pastor Jose Pappachan and his spouse Sheeja had been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and fined Rs 25,000 every by the Ambedkar Nagar Periods Courtroom on January 22, 2025. Particular Decide Ram Vilas Singh delivered the decision beneath Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion regulation, whereas acquitting them of expenses beneath the SC/ST Act.
The case started when BJP district secretary Chandrika Prasad filed a criticism on January 23, 2023. The prosecution alleged the couple, residents of Financial institution Colony in Pipariya, Madhya Pradesh, had been trying spiritual conversion in Shahpur Firoz village’s Dalit settlement.
Through the trial, eleven witnesses testified concerning the couple’s actions. Native residents testified that the couple would go to and conduct conferences on the home of a girl within the village recognized as Vifla the place they’d learn Bible passages and advise the gathering in opposition to alcohol consumption and preventing. Witness Lovekush acknowledged they’d collect villagers to debate “issues of information” and talk about youngsters’s training.
A number of witnesses, together with Manju and Roshni, acknowledged receiving Bibles however emphasised that the couple’s teachings targeted on ethical steering and peaceable residing. They talked about the couple’s Christmas celebration the place they distributed meals to villagers.
The court docket information word that police recovered “one child-friendly pictorial Bible, 4 giant diary-bound books in black with ‘Holy Bible’ printed on their covers, two smaller diaries, and 4 calendars with photographs of Jesus Christ.” The defence maintained these had been commonplace spiritual supplies for prayer conferences. They argued that these supplies and actions fell inside constitutional rights of spiritual follow and expression. Earlier bail proceedings had famous that distributing spiritual literature and providing ethical recommendation didn’t represent unlawful actions.
Pastor Pappachan, who reportedly started his evangelical work in Uttar Pradesh in October 2022, was hospitalized with anxiousness and hypertension after current court docket proceedings. His spouse was taken into custody on January 18, whereas he surrendered on January 22.
The court docket’s last judgment targeted on the prosecution’s argument that providing training and materials advantages constituted “allurement” beneath the anti-conversion regulation. Nevertheless, defence witnesses constantly testified that no precise conversions passed off, and the couple’s actions centred on prayer conferences and ethical teachings.
The couple, who haven’t any residence or financial savings in Uttar Pradesh, spent eight months in jail earlier than receiving bail by means of the efforts of an company that works to assist victims of persecution.
Throughout earlier bail proceedings, the court docket had noticed that “distributing Bibles, telling folks to not drink alcohol, or advising folks isn’t a criminal offense beneath the regulation.” Nevertheless, the ultimate verdict took a special view, deciphering these actions as potential inducements beneath the anti-conversion regulation.
Courtroom information present that regardless of proof of solely prayer conferences and ethical teachings going down, the conviction was secured beneath provisions that classify providing training and religious steering as potential types of allurement for conversion. The missionary couple, who left their residence and livelihood in Kerala to serve in North India, now face their jail time period with out native household assist or sources.
