Indian pastors, woman denied bail, continue in jail

A court in a central Indian state has rejected the bail applications of two protestant pastors and a woman arrested on charges of alleged religious conversion.

The district court in Satna, Madhya Pradesh state, rejected the bail applications of pastors Roshan Faster, Mayaram Ningwal, and Aarti Saket on June 6. The accused will remain in police custody till June 17, a police official said.

“It is a difficult time for us. We are working with our legal team for the next course of action,” Minakshi Singh, a Christian activist, told to News on June 7.

The pastors and the woman were arrested from Motwa village under the Majhgawan police station in Satna district on June 4, after a local, Manoj Kori, about a Christian prayer meeting being held inside a house and the complainant accompanied by the police, reached the house and took Faster, Ningwal, and Saket into their custody.

Ashish Jain, a sub-divisional police officer of Chitrakoot, said a case has been registered against them under various sections of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, which prohibits religious conversion through unlawful means.

Several Indian states have enacted anti-conversion laws.

"However, they have so far failed to provide evidence of conversion activities in a court. After all, conversion is an individual choice. Indian constitution allows us to follow or propagate our faith,” she said.

“Our first priority here is to make sure that we are able to ensure the bail of our people as soon as possible,” Minakshi Singh added.