Pastor charged with ‘insulting religious beliefs’

MAYAPURI, India — A mob of Hindu extremists June 4 stormed a home prayer meeting in Mayapuri, Madhya Pradesh state, India, and dragged Christians inside to a nearby temple to force them to bow before local gods, but it was the pastor who was charged with “insulting religious beliefs.” Among 15 Christians that police took into custody, Jagdish Bharti, 27, pastor of Bethel Fellowship Church, was charged with insulting religious beliefs “with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging” religious feelings. He was released on bail of 20,000 rupees (U.S. $435) June 6, and the other 14 Christians were released on bail after four hours of interrogation the day of their arrest. “Police also created a scene at the police station, colluding with the fundamentalist elements and encouraging them to beat me up the next time I am caught evangelizing,” Bharti said.