Assam: FIR against Christian pastor for religious conversion, court grants bail

Guwahati: The city police have registered an FIR against a Christian pastor of Beltola Fellowship of United Churches Assembly (UCA) for “deceitful religious conversion’ by ‘magical healing’ of juveniles in the Basistha area of the city.

However, the pastor managed to get interim bail from the court of the Additional Sessions Judge (FTC) No 3, Kamrup Metro, Nishanta Goswami, as the FIR failed to mention the venue and the timing of such offences against the pastor.

The Basistha police station registered a case against pastor Jeremiah Basumatary based on a complaint lodged by Nayanjyoti Dekua, son of Sarbananda Dakua, a resident of Ganesh Nagar, Basistha.

The FIR alleged that the pastor Jeremiah Basumatary had been carrying out religious conversion by fraudulent means promising magical cures to diseases, and using manipulation techniques like fear of divine punishment or upliftment in economic condition by magical means which is again equivalent to quackery and fraudulence.

However, the court granted an interim bail on the ground that the FIR lodged by the informant has no reference to any specific incident of offences which the accused has allegedly committed.

“There is no mention of any specific date of occurrence in the FIR. In the FIR it was alleged that the pastor performs magical healing on juveniles and on the pretext he touches them inappropriately. Some of the juveniles are deeply disturbed by his presence and touch,” the court said.

“The pastor also attempted religious conversion of some people. However, there is no specific mention of any instance in the FIR in which the pastor was found to be involved in the commission of the offence,” the court said.

“The case is registered against the accused under section 295 of IPC which entails a maximum punishment of up to three years, under section 7 of the Juvenile Justice Act which entails a maximum punishment of three years and section 7(a) of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objective Advertisement) Act 1954 which entails punishment up to six months,” the court further said.

“Considering the gravity and nature of the offence and the fact that the accused is attached to a religious institution which suggests that there is a possibility that he will abscond in the event of his release on bail, it is directed that in the event of the arrest of the accused before final disposal of the petition in connection with Basistha police station case 684/23 the accused will be released on bail for Rs 30,000 with two sureties like amount to the satisfaction of the arrested authorities,” it said.

The court granted the bail on the condition that the accused will have to coordinate with the investigation officer, he will not be involved in any magical healing activities as alleged in the FIR and he shall not make any inducement, threat or promise to any person from disclosing such fact to the investigating officer,” the court added.