Allahabad HC Denies Anticipatory Bail To Man Accused Of Luring 90 Hindus To Convert To Christianity

The Allahabad High Court has denied the anticipatory bail to a man who was accused of luring 90 Hindu persons to convert themselves into Christians.

The accused was alleged to have done such an act by way of undue influence, coercion, fraud, promising easy money, etc.

A Single Bench of Justice Jyotsna Sharma observed, “It may be kept in mind that anticipatory bail is an extraordinary remedy to be exercised in suitable cases only. The power under section 438 Cr.P.C. cannot be utilized in a routine manner as a substitute for regular bail. This discretionary power calls for existence of facts of the kind where the court is satisfied that its interference is necessary to further the cause of justice and to prevent misuse of process of law.”

The applicant/accused sought anticipatory bail in connection with Sections 153A, 506, 420, 467, 468, and 471 of the IPC and Sections 3/5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020.

Advocate Rajkumar Verma appeared on behalf of the applicant while AGA O.P. Mishra appeared for the State.

Brief Facts –

An FIR was lodged by an informant that about 90 persons of the Hindu religion were congregated at the Evangelical Church of India, 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.

The Government officers found 35 persons and 20 unknown persons as having been involved in this conversion and one of them was the applicant. It was alleged that the applicant with others was dealing in the mass conversion of people from one religion to the other by offering them monetary and other benefits.

The High Court after hearing the contentions of both parties ordered, “I considered all the aspects of the matter. I do not find any good ground to grant anticipatory bail. Hence, the anticipatory bail application is rejected.”

Accordingly, the Court denied anticipatory bail to the accused.

Cause Title- Bhanu Pratap Singh v. State of U.P. and 2 Others

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