Indian court jails first Christians under anti-conversion law https://www.ucanews.com/news/indian-court-jails-first-christians-under-anti-conversion-law/107657
An official of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which runs the state government, filed a complaint against the couple in January 2023, accusing them of engaging in the religious conversion of people from tribal and socially poor Dalit backgrounds. The couple denied the charge, arguing that they were providing education to children and helping people stop drinking alcohol and quarreling among themselves. The couple had spent eight months in prison until they were granted bail by the Allahabad High Court last September. Christian leaders say judgment will not stand as an actual conversion was not proven
The state recorded 209 anti-Christian incidents in 2024, the highest in any Indian state, according to the New Delhi-based United Christian Forum (UCF), which tracks violence against Christians across the country.
At least 70 Christians, including pastors, are in prison in the state for allegedly violating the stringent anti-conversion law.