UDAIPUR, India – Ten Catholics in Rajasthan, India, have been granted bail by the High Court after spending more than three months in jail. They were arrested following a confrontation with a Hindu mob accused of disrupting Sunday liturgy.
Father Arvind Amliyar, parish priest of the Catholic Church in Bandaria, confirmed the news to UCA News, stating, “We are glad that the court has granted bail to our 10 faithful who have been behind bars since May.” He added that a two-judge bench ordered their release on August 12, though a written order is still pending. Father Amliyar expressed hope that the individuals would be out of jail “in a day or two,” noting he was unsure of the specific conditions set by the court.
The incident occurred on May 1 in Kalinjara village, Banswara district, when approximately 13 Hindu individuals allegedly attempted to disrupt a Holy Mass. This led to a scuffle between the Christian and Hindu groups. Following the altercation, the Hindu group protested outside the local police station, demanding action against the Christians.
Local sources indicate that police reportedly refused to register a formal complaint from the Christians but proceeded to register one from the Hindu group, naming 15 Catholics. The arrested Catholics faced serious charges, including illegal conversion, wrongful restraint, rioting, and attempted murder. Ten individuals were arrested, while others went into hiding to avoid apprehension. Earlier bail petitions filed in the lower court in Banswara district were denied on two separate occasions, according to Father Amliyar.
The Udaipur Diocese issued a statement welcoming the High Court’s decision. “The Diocese is grateful to the top court for granting this relief, which comes as a great source of hope and consolation to the families who had endured serious anxiety, uncertainty, and distress during the prolonged period of detention,” the statement read. It further emphasized, “The Diocese continues to maintain that the constitutional rights of every citizen, including the freedom to profess, practice, and peacefully propagate one’s religion, must be respected and protected in accordance with the law.”
Rajasthan is one of 13 Indian states that have stringent laws criminalizing religious conversion. Many of these states are governed by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Christian groups, including the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), have challenged the constitutional validity of these anti-conversion laws in the Supreme Court. While the Supreme Court has agreed to examine these pleas, it has not yet granted any stay on the implementation of the laws.
