Christians arrested for offering money, ‘false hope’

DHAMTARI, India — Police in Sivaho Dhamtari arrested three Christians Aug. 29 after Hindu extremists filed a complaint against them of luring people to convert to Christianity by offering them money and “false hope.”

A source reported that the extremists had recently launched a series of attacks against Pastor Dilip Chakravarty, Ganga Ram and Shankar Lal of the Church of God, accusing them of forceful conversion and trying to force Ram and Lal to “reconvert” back to Hinduism. Ram and Lal sustained fractures on their hands and legs from the attacks. Area Christian leaders said no forceful conversion took place. The three Christians were charged with 295 (a) of the Indian Penal Code for “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion” and were sent to Dhamtari district jail the same day.