PARMINDER SINGH Vs. STATE OF U.P.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Both anticipatory bail applications have been moved for grant of anticipatory bail in Case Crime No. 224 of 2022, under Ss. 153-A, 506, 420, 467, 468, 471 Indian Penal Code, 1860 [IPC] and 3 and 5(1) U.P. Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 (U.P. Act No. 3 of 2021) [The Act, 2021], Police Station Kotwali, District Fatehpur.

(2.) Instant case, as the prosecution version surfaces, is; a first information report [The FIR] was lodged by the informant- Himanshu Dixit with the allegations that about 90 persons of Hindu religion have been congregated at Evangelical Church of India, Hariharganj, Fatehpur for the purpose of their conversion to Christianity by putting them under undue influence, coercion and luring them by playing fraud and promise of easy money etc.; on receiving this information, the Government officers reached the place and interrogated the pastor Vijay Massiah; he disclosed that the process for conversion was going on for the last 34 days and that this process shall be completed within 40 days; that they have been trying to convert even the patients admitted to the Mission Hospital and the employees have played an active role in the same; the Government officers found 35 persons (named in the F.I.R.) and 20 unknown persons as having been involved in this conversion of 90 persons of Hindu community to Christianity. The F.I.R. was registered under Ss. 153A, 506, 420, 467, 468 I.P.C. and Ss. - 3/5(1) of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and the matter was investigated upon.

(3.) Sri Dilip Kumar, learned Senior Advocate assisted by Sri Rizwan Ahmad, learned counsel appears for the applicants, Sri Manish Goel, learned Additional Advocate General/ learned Senior Advocate assisted by Sri Amit Singh Chauhan, learned AGA-I, and Sri Pankaj Srivastava, learned AGA, appears for the State - respondent.