by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Three Christian men in India’s Uttar Pradesh state were imprisoned last week on false charges of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
The three Christians were arrested under Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion ‘Freedom of Religion Act’ by ten police officers during their Sunday morning worship service, ICC reports. The three include the congregation leader, Pastor Kalpanath, and two church members.
“Pastor Kalpanath and two congregants were taken into custody and interrogated for four hours,” ICC said in its report. “Police were trying to determine if the men were involved with conversion activities that violated India’s laws – laws that are disproportionately used to target Christians over other religious minorities.”
The men spent two days in prison, under interrogation, before finally being released on bail and ordered to pay massive fines.
In a statement to ICC, a local church leader who requested anonymity said: “Ninety percent of all churches in my region are shut down as a result of this crackdown on churches by radical Hindu nationalists. Christians here are facing some of the worst times in the history of Independent India, and in the next couple of years, Christians may not be permitted to have gatherings due to intense persecution and physical attacks.”
Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, India ranks 11th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.