Bhopal: A priest from Kerala was on Thursday booked by Satna police in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh for forced conversion of a person to Christianity, inviting criticism for allegedly targeting the minority community.



A first information report (FIR) was filed against Fr George Manganappilly from Ernakulam, who is a professor at St Ephrem’s Theological College in Satna, following a complaint by a person, allegedly a right wing Hindu activist, that he was offered Rs 5,000 to convert to Christianity. As per the law, forced religious conversion is a crime in India.

Fr. George Manganappilly was arrested and produced in a court in Satna and was later released on bail.

Fr Tojy, another priest from the seminary, speaking exclusively to Onmanorama from Satna, said Fr George was booked under sections 153 B (creating wedge between two communities) and 295 (destruction, damage, or defilement of a place of worship) of the IPC.

Carol group detained overnight

According to sources, a Christmas carol group of 30 seminarians and two priests, all from Kerala, was detained by the police on Thursday and their car was set ablaze allegedly by right wing Hindu activists outside the Civil Lines police station at Satna.

The members of the carol group, comprising priests and seminarians who were kept in custody for several hours Thursday, were also released after being presented in the court on Friday.

The group was detained following a complaint allegedly filed by saffron activists that they were involved in religious conversion of tribals in the region. When another group of six priests reached the station to inquire about the seminarians, they were also taken into custody, said sources.

The seminarians and priests were released around 4 am on Friday but were asked to appear before the court later.

The City Superintendent of Police D.D. Pande told IANS that a man , Dharmendra Dohad, has registered a complaint that he was paid Rs 5,000 and had converted to Christianity.

"He was given a holy dip in a pond and his name was changed to Dharmendra Thomas. They also asked him to pray to Lord Christ," he said, IANS reported.

“A group of eight priests who had come to the station hearing the news about the detention were also taken into custody by the police on Thursday. Their car, parked outside, was burnt by the right-wing groups. The police are giving us protection now,” said Fr Tojy.

CBCI condemns attack

The attack has drawn flak from the Christian community across India. The Catholic Bishop's Conference of India condemned the attack.

"All right thinking Indians will hang their heads in shame at these terrorists who have taken on the garb of ‘religious police”. We are absolutely sure that they do not speak in the name of our very broad minded and peace loving Hindu brethren. It is sad that this attack comes just two days after the effusive praise heaped upon the Catholic Church by the Honourable Vice President of India Shri. Venkaiah Naidu at the Christmas Celebrations 2017 organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India in Delhi.ources said the seminarians were moving around Satna town, visiting Christian institutions and singing carols. The priests alleged that the police took them to the Civil Lines station without any reason," the CBCI release said.

Fr M Rony, director of social work for Satna diocese, told mediapersons that the situation outside the police station was so hostile on Thursday that the six priests, who had gone to meet those detained, were not allowed to enter the police station. The saffron brigade had laid siege to the police station, “virtually denying the priests entry", said sources.

Father John Thoppil, another priest in Satna, told Manorama News that the carol was a routine practice every Christmas season since 1992 when the Theological college opened in the town.

Satna district is a strong hold of Bajrang Dal and is situated in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh, bordering Uttar Pradesh. The region is known for its scenic temples and limestone quarries.

Christian missionaries had faced trouble in Satna earlier also. Police had arrested in October two Christian women in Madhya Pradesh for kidnapping children for conversion, a charge denied by the church.

The cops had then said that a vigilante group called Dharma Jagran Manch had complained that the children were being taken to Mumbai by train for conversion to Christianity.

In June, police had nabbed a Catholic nun and four tribal girls traveling with her in a train on similar charges. However, the church had denied the charges then also.

Read more at: Latest from Onmanorama Kerala

