Malayali priest arrested in Maharashtra on charges of religious conversion granted bail; Pastor Baby Jacob assaulted at Jammu

NEW DELHI: Bail has been granted to 12 people, including the Malayali CSI priest and his wife, who were arrested in Maharashtra on charges of religious conversion.

The bail was granted by the Warud court. Father Sudhir, a native of Amaravila, Thiruvananthapuram, and his wife Jasmine were arrested by the police on Tuesday evening. Father Sudhir has been in Maharashtra for the past five years. The priest and his wife Jasmine had come to the village in Amravati on Tuesday to attend a Christmas program and celebrate a friend's birthday. The allegation is that Bajrang Dal activists detained the priest and the believers. Later, they were taken into custody on the complaint of the activists. Bajrang Dal activists also organised in front of the police station. Father Sudhir responded that he had not converted anyone and was taken into custody while having food. Jasmine said that they were not attacked only because the police were there.

Malayali priest beaten up in Jammu

A Malayali priest was brutally beaten up in Jammu on December 24, alleging forced conversion. The information came to light today. The victim was Pastor Baby Jacob of Jammu R.S. Pura. It is alleged that BJP workers stopped him and beat him up when he went to take the children of the Carol group home. The assailants snatched the keys to his bike. The police registered a case on the complaint of the priest, a native of Kuravilangad, Kottayam. The pastor of the Pentecostal Church and his family have been permanently residing in Jammu for 13 years.