Six Protestant Christians were arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Sant Kabir Nagar district for allegedly violating the state’s anti-conversion law on January 26. The arrests came on the same day the Supreme Court urged courts to be more lenient in granting bail in such cases.
The accused were taken into custody by Dhan Ghata police after a complaint was filed by Saurabh Singh, a right-wing Hindu activist and leader of a cow protection group. Singh alleged that the Christians were conducting prayers to convert local people and offering monetary incentives while making derogatory remarks about Hindu deities.
A church leader, speaking anonymously, dismissed the accusations as baseless and part of a targeted campaign against Christians.
According to Pastor Joy Mathew, who tracks religious persecution cases, at least 18 Christians, including pastors, have been jailed in Uttar Pradesh this January alone under similar charges.
Nearly 100 Christians are currently imprisoned across the state, awaiting bail.
The Supreme Court on January 27 reminded the Allahabad High Court to show judicial discretion in granting bail in such cases. A bench led by Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan noted that lower courts often hesitate to grant bail, making pre-trial detention prolonged.
The observation came while granting bail to a Muslim cleric, Maulvi Syed Shad Kazmi, who had spent almost a year in jail under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
Church leaders in Uttar Pradesh say the arrests are part of an organized crackdown on Christian minorities.
The state, ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, recorded 209 anti-Christian incidents in 2024, the highest in any Indian state, according to the United Christian Forum (UCF).
Despite Christians forming just 0.18% of Uttar Pradesh’s 200 million population, they face frequent allegations of forced conversion. Meanwhile, Muslims make up 19% of the state’s population.
