LUCKNOW: A Malayali couple accused of converting people to Christianity has been arrested. They have been identified as pastor Santhosh John (55) of Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh and his wife Jiji (50). The couple is originally from Kerala. The police arrested them on Monday on the complaint of Bajrang Dal activists. The complaint mentioned that the couple were converting people to Christianity.

Goons barged into a Church in Delhi NCR & disrupted Sunday worship service on Feb 26. They got Pastor Santosh Abraham & his wife arrested! In this "free" country any Christian can be booked on as baseless an allegation as "forced conversion"@USCIRF @India_NHRC @INCIndia @hrw pic.twitter.com/Vylvrqns5C

— Philip Eapen (@ppeapen) February 27, 2023

Meantime, Christian activist Minakshi Singh, helping the pastor and his wife denied the allegation. She said that a group of people arrived and created an uproar when the pastor and his wife were holding a service. They called the police alleging conversion, the latter arrived and took them to the police station. The police questioned the couple and released them later. Singh said the couple were taken into custody after a group of 40 people protested in the police station demanding the arrest of the couple. The police had to take them into custody again. Their laptops and phone were seized, added Minakshi.

The complaint said the couple offered Rs 2 lakh and land to construct a house if adopted Christianity. They lure the poor and the helpless. The couple was booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. If found guilty, they can be jailed for one to seven years.

Why can’t the Govt tell these lumpens that when this kind of thing keeps happening, it brings disgrace to our country?: Christian pastor, wife, arrested in Ghaziabad after mob makes conversion allegations https://t.co/wyaAamTZU1

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 28, 2023

Meantime, Shashi Tharoor came forward against the arrest of the couple. Such incidents will defame the country. Their arrest was in the name of allegations, tweeted Tharoor.