NEW DELHI, India — After a mob raided a worship service, cut electrical power and attacked congregants, police charged four Christians under India’s anti-conversion law.
The bail request for one of the four — Rajesh Sharma — is before India’s Supreme Court after two other courts rejected it, states Morning Star News.
Sharma was charged along with Abhishek Samson, Priyesh Kumar and Munna Guard on March 9 after a Hindu nationalist mob of 70–100 attacked the Church of God in Raipur.
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Morning Star says the four were charged under a statute that “prohibits criminal intimidation, insulting religious beliefs, voluntarily causing hurt, obscene acts and defiling a place of worship,” and another statute “prohibiting religious conversion by force or allurement.”
Praveen Lawrence, the church’s senior pastor, said the church had been part of the community for 18 years without incident.
According to Morning Star, Hindus sought in February to construct a temple near the church. Representatives of Christian families in the community suggested locating the temple far enough away to prevent activities of each from interfering with one another.
After the attack upon the church, Hindus constructed their temple in March in an area of the community that was designated for use by all the people, a resident told Morning Star.
World Watch
India is No. 11 on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of the 50 places most difficult to be a Christian.
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