India: Pastor, Christians harrassed
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The arrest of a pastor, his wife and another church member in Satna, India, on May 22 symbolically fell on the two-year anniversary of Narendra Modi’s oppressive Hindu nationalist government.
According to Barnabas Aid, Pastor V. A. Antony, his wife Prabha, Praveen Choudhary and her four-year-old son had just left Sunday service when plainclothes policemen warned the pastor against holding any further services. Later the four Christians were apprehended by police just outside of Satna and taken to the Kotar police station where a First Information Report was registered against them.
Charges were lodged against the adult Christians under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code, i.e., deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings … by insulting its religion, or religious beliefs.
After Choudhary’s child was remanded to his father’s care, the adults were sent to jail. Two days later, they were all released on bail by the Sessions court.