Political and investigative heat rises over the Nashik case, with VHP alleging a wider pattern and police examining possible targeting, internal lapses and communication links among the accused.
As per the FIR, lodged on Thursday night, two Christian missionaries - Chandi Varghese of Delhi and Arun John of Kota organised a major programme "Atmik Satsang" and lured some Hindus to baptism in Christianity between November 4 and 6.
The state assembly passed the bill exactly a month ago, on September 9, amid protests and a boycott by the opposition Congress.
The state government has also decided to increase punishment under anti-religious conversion law from the maximum of 10 years imprisonment to 20 years or even life imprisonment and a fine of ₹50,000 to one lakh.
Amidst reports of Chhangur Baba's conversion racket spreading in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday vouched for making state's anti-conversion law more stringent.
Thousands of Christians from across Arunachal Pradesh gathered at Borum Ground near Itanagar in a massive demonstration against the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978.
CM Chouhan said, "A stringent law should be enacted to stop the vicious cycle of religious conversion because religious conversion cases are still running in any guise."
The accused Naushad, and his father Islam, have been booked on the complaint lodged by the minor girl's father, who works in Gujarat and returned home last week.
Since some unfortunate incidents came to the fore in the recent past, it is important that both Muslims and Sikhs maintain communal harmony and brotherhood.
The MP ‘Freedom of Religion Bill, 2020’ proposes a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh and jail of up to 10 years to anyone who forcefully or by misrepresentation through marriage abets the religious conversion of a woman, minor or person of Scheduled Caste or Tribe.
