JAIPUR, India —- The Hindu nationalist government in Rajasthan state has closed a police investigation into a televised attack on Pastor Walter Masih April 29, 2007, after withdrawing the more serious charges against the accused. The state government, ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, has refused to sanction prosecution under the more serious charges of the 14 Hindu extremists accused of attacking Masih with sticks and rods, leaving him bleeding profusely in Jaipur, the state capital.
Police had arrested 14 of the 20 alleged attackers and filed a case against them for rioting, causing hurt, trespassing and causing damage -but without including any charges of religion-related offenses, which provide for stricter penal action. Police later added charges of hate speech, insulting a religion or religious beliefs and offensive statements made in a place of worship.
Now the government has refused to give sanction for prosecution of the more serious charges. A representative of the Christian Legal Association (CLA) said that by declining to add any charges related to religious crimes, the state had weakened the case against the accused. "The case, which highlighted the false confidence of extremists to launch attacks on Christians with impunity," said the CLA representative, "will now be treated as involving petty offenses."
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