Pune:
Pune police have filed a case against a British citizen on the basis of alleged religious conversion in the name of preaching at a church in the city, officials have said.
The complaint alleged that the religious leader from Britain, who had been staying in Pune for the past few days, was encouraging people to convert to another religion under the guise of preaching. Following the complaint, a case was filed at the Khadak police station, with an investigation being initiated.
According to allegations by Hindutva organisations, the British national was delivering sermons at a church in Guruwar Peth during his stay in Pune and using them as a pretext to convert people.
Following the complaint, police conducted a preliminary investigation and registered a case.
The probe revealed that the accused had come to India from Britain on a tourist visa. According to Indian laws and regulations, foreign nationals on tourist visas are prohibited from engaging in religious preaching, missionary activities, or participating in public religious events. Despite this, it was alleged in the complaint that the leader was preaching at the church.
The case has been registered under the provisions of the newly-implemented ‘Maharashtra Religious Freedom Act’, which was recently passed by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.
This is believed to be the first instance of a case under the new law, making it politically and legally significant.
Cops are now investigating what exactly happened at the church event, and whether =any religious conversion attempt was truly made. A team from the Khadak Police Station is examining documents related to the case, visa regulations, and the complainants’ claims.
(With inputs from Ajinkya Patil)
