ICC Note: Pastor Dependra Prakash Maleywar was released from police custody after spending nine days in jail on false charges of forced conversions. On June 18, Pastor Maleywar was attacked by Hindu radicals who accused him of forcefully converting 16 people to Christianity. In reality, Pastor Maleywar was filing affidavits in court attesting to the validity of the conversions he had overseen. False accusations of forced conversions are often used by Hindu radicals to harass Christian leaders and justify assaults.

06/26/2018 India (Asia News) – In Uttar Pradesh, a Pentecostal pastor has been released on bail after being arrested on the false charge of forcibly converted people to Christianity.

Sajan K. George, President of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), reports that the Rev. Dependra Prakash Maleywar was released yesterday after being held in custody since June 18, when a group of Hindu extremists blamed him for extorting the conversion of 16 people.

In reality, George complains, the Christian was stopped “while he was delivering an affidavit in court where the newcomers declared that the decision to change religion was their free choice.”

The pastor’s case broke out last week, when the police handcuffed him in the courtyard of Sardhana Tehsil (District of Meerut) for alleged assault against some activists of the far-right Bajrang Dal Hindu group. The policemen acted following a complaint lodged by the local leader Milind Som.

The latter said that he had been violently attacked by the Christian after asking him for information on the documents he was to deliver. On the contrary, George claims that Pastor Maleywar “was mistreated by angry extremists.” In any case, the judges sentenced the Christian to 14 days in prison.

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