Two Christians arrested in India on Easter Sunday

Two Christians were arrested on Easter Sunday in the  state of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly violating the state’s sweeping anti-conversion law, media reports said.

On March 31st, Police  intercepted two buses with 110 passengers, traveling from Kanpur to Unnao. They were allegedly heading for an event where a religious event was taking place, according to the Times of India newspaper.

Two people were arrested on charges of violating the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act 2021, media reports said.

Mahesh Kumar, assistant commissioner of police, said the accused - Simon Williams and Deepak Morris - promised 50,000 rupees to each passengers if they embraced Christianity.

Activists of the right-wing group alerted the police and the buses were intercepted.

"Apart from cash, they were assured jobs. The unmarried people were promised help in finding partners," Kumar added.

Williams and Morris were arrested based on a complaint by Sunil Balmiki, one of the passengers who filed a complaint.

“We are closely monitoring the case” of Williams and Morris, Christian activist Minakshi Singh told to news on April 2.

Minakshi Singh, general secretary of Unity in Compassion, a charity based in Uttar Pradesh,  said that “it is too early to say anything.”

The anti-conversion legislation is often misused to arrest Christians, Pastor Dinesh Kumar told.

Pastor Deen Nath told to News agencies, that the incident happened to the Assembly of Believers Church, which had been in Unnao district for the past ten years. “No conversion activity was taking place, it was a Praise and Worship Easter Sunday assembly,” he said.