Republican Senator Charles Ernest Grassley, who represents Iowa, has written to India accusing the authorities of jailing Pastor Faiz Rehman as he is a Christian, Hindustan Times reported. Rehman Faiz of ‘Good News’ NGO was arrested after inmates at the shelter home he ran in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district accused him of mental, physical and sexual abuse.

Read: Odisha: NGO that wants to bring ‘Good News of Jesus’, connect with ‘savages’, caught for sexual abuse, 11 girls missing

The US Senator, however, believes he has been imprisoned for his Christian faith. The letter, which has been accessed by Hindustan Times, said, “I have been contacted by several Iowans about the case of Dr Rehman expressing their concern. Since his arrest, Dr Rehman has been denied bail and has had his trial delayed on numerous occasions.”

“I ask that your government look into Dr Faiz Rehman case that it be given every consideration under applicable Indian law and that it be resolved as speedily as possible,” he wrote. The letter was forwarded to the Odisha government by the Ministry of External Affairs sometime this month.

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Read: After sexual harassment charges, Odisha police to investigate the same NGO for converting inmates to Christianity in WB

Pratap Kumar Acharya, the chairperson of Child Welfare Committee who lodged the FIR in December last year, said, “The food that they were being given was sub-standard. At least seven of the girl inmates gave me in writing that Rehman was touching their private parts and often kissed them much to their discomfiture.” “The food that they were being given was sub-standard. At least seven of the girl inmates gave me in writing that Rehman was touching their private parts and often kissed them much to their discomfiture,” he added.

The NGO named ‘Good News India’ wanted to bring the ‘Good News of Jesus’ and ‘connect with savages’. The Odisha police had arrested three persons, including the Managing Director of the NGO, Faiz Rahman in connection with the case. It was also being investigated for converting inmates to Christianity in West Bengal.

Read: Chilli powder in private parts, beatings and rigorous chores: Girls in Delhi shelter home reveal abuse by staff

We had also reported earlier how Good News NGO run by Faiz Rehman seems to be a front for conversion. One look at their website and the conversion rhetoric was evident. In the webpage that spoke about Fayaz Rehman, there was even a portion where they had asserted the Good News does not let the children go after their 10th grade like other NGOs because they run the risk of “returning to Paganism”.

In March, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) had discovered that the shelter home was up and running again despite the fact that it was sealed last year. An investigation had been initiated into the matter and after a raid, the children present were shifted to a government-owned shelter home.