UP Religious Conversion Case: SC Grants Interim Protection To BCH Society Chairman

The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim protection to Mathew Samuel, the chairman of Broadwell Christian Hospital Society in Fatehpur District in a force religious conversion case.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud was hearing the anticipatory bail plea of the accused during which Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave informed the bench that the situation was getting out of control, and highlighted a video in which he claimed a person was openly advocated the death of Christians.

He further claimed that neither the police nor the subordinate judiciary were protecting the petitioner.

“What is happening is that things are going out of control. There is a video sent to me by Christian missionary where a gentleman is telling openly to kill Christians. Magistrate has recorded it and yet remand given, not protected by police and not by subordinate judiciary. Your lordships can alone save us. these forcible conversion cases…some word from you needed,” he said.

The CJI reassured Advocate Dave that the case will be taken seriously by the bench and issued a notice to the state of Uttar Pradesh. In addition, the Court imposed a suspension of coercive action against the petitioner.

“We are here and that is why we are entertaining all this. Issue notice to the state of Uttar Pradesh. Stay on coercive action against the petitioner,” the bench ordered.

On January 23, 2023, the Kotwali police station filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the accused and others, citing fraud conversions.

The FIRs were filed in response to complaints from members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal.

The accused were charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 420 (Dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will), 468 (Forgery for the purpose of cheating), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), 120-B (Party to a criminal conspiracy), and Sections 3 (Prohibition of conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, etc.) and 5(1) (Punishment for contravention of section 3) of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.

According to hospital management, police launched several raids on the hospital and staff members who were still on the grounds, forcing the place to close. The staff, doctors, and nurses said that they were often harassed by Hindutva activists and the police over conversion accusations.

In April 2022, a mob organized by Hindutva organizations disrupted prayers at the Evangelical Church of India (ECI), which is located 10 minutes away from the hospital in Fatehpur.

The hospital is managed by ECI.   The event resulted in the arrest of several Christian community members, who were later freed on bail.