Authorities charged a British Christian leader of Indian descent in Pune, Maharashtra, India, for allegedly attempting to illegally convert Hindus to Christianity under a law that has yet to come into effect.

The Pune police filed the chargesheet on Aug. 7 under the anti-conversion law known as “The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026,” but the law won’t come into effect until the end of August.

The police realized their blunder and are now trying to pursue the case under other legal provisions against Pastor Pankaj Devnoor, who is associated with the Anglican Episcopal Church International in Manchester, UK. But the blooper has put the police in the spotlight both at the national and international level.

The 50-year-old Devnoor had come to attend a 10-day church anniversary celebration in the Guruwar Peth area of Pune, Maharashtra, in early August.

But Hindu nationalists curtailed the celebrations by complaining against Devnoor to the police, who, however, upon realizing their mistake, did not detain him.

Timeline of Anti-Conversion Law

The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, which criminalizes forced or fraudulent religious conversions and carries penalties of up to 10 years in prison, was enacted through the following legislative process.

March 5 — The Maharashtra state cabinet approved the draft anti-conversion bill.

March 13 — The bill is formally tabled in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

March 16 — The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly passes the bill by a voice vote during the budget session.

July 30-31 — The legislation is published in the state official gazette following approval and receives assent from the Indian President Droupadi Murmu.

Aug. 28 — The law formally takes effect and is fully operational for enforcement across the state.

Rules Ignored

The incident of booking the UK church leader under a law that has not come into effect highlights the growing legal scrutiny surrounding religious freedom in India, particularly as more states adopt strict measures against forced conversions.

These laws impose heavy penalties, including lengthy prison sentences, for any conversions achieved through coercion or financial inducement.

It can also be placed on record that to date, there is not a single conviction under these laws.

It also shows how the police try to take action based on the Hindu-supremacy narratives set by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in many states. Due to this, the police work to bypass due legal process to intimidate the minority Christian community in India.

Alternative Indictment

While the anti-conversion charges failed, the Pune police are relentless and said they are investigating potential violations of immigration rules by the UK pastor.

The police note that while his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status allows the pastor to attend prayer meetings, preaching or delivering public religious discourses requires prior official permission.

The Complaint

On Aug. 7, a group of Hindu men entered the premises, where the church celebrations were occurring, and accused Devnoor of attempting forced conversions.

One of the men, a driver, complained to the police that Devnoor was responsible for conducting illegal conversions. The police promptly registered a case against him under the non-implemented anti-conversion law.

In the complaint, the driver even went to the extent of alleging that Devnoor was using Indian musical instruments and Hindu terminology to lure Hindus to Christianity.

But Devnoor’s family and legal team called the allegations completely “baseless,” clarifying that he was merely participating in a Christian community prayer meeting.

Fair Ruling by Court

During legal proceedings, it was revealed that although the anti-conversion bill received presidential assent on July 31, it is not scheduled to officially come into force until Aug. 28. Consequently, the anti-conversion charges were dropped.

The court then granted Devnoor interim anticipatory bail, noting that a Christian gathering with open entry does not automatically imply an intention to convert outsiders.

Under his strict bail conditions, Devnoor is currently barred from leaving India without court permission and must report regularly to a local police station.

The case is coming up for court hearing next on Aug. 25, just three days before the Maharashtra anti-conversion law comes into actual effect.

Family Response

According to media reports, Devnoor’s family is considering legal action against the Indian police. They are also worried about his safety as his name and photo have been published in all the media.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has reportedly said they are supporting the British man in India and are in contact with his family and local authorities.

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