DEHRADUN: Six people, including a pastor of the Mussoorie Church, have been booked under the state's new anti-conversion law. This is the first case in the state after the new law was enacted.
Police have registered a case against six people, including a priest of a Union Church in Mussoorie, Pastor Lazarus Cornelius and his wife Pushpa Cornelius who had gone to convert the locals of Chiwala village in Uttarkashi. Enraged over the incident, the people of Purola took out an all-party procession and kept the market closed and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.
The police headquarters has directed to investigate the case on a priority basis. ADG (Law and Order) and police spokesperson V Murugesan said, "Instructions have been given to investigate the matter on priority basis and have asked to take action immediately. Police have also been directed to maintain law and order in the district".
There was a fierce argument and scuffle in Chiwala village with the people who came to convert on Friday, after which the police brought them back to Mussoorie with security. The police have registered a case against both the parties. Pastor Pastor Lazarus Cornelius and his wife Pushpa have also been named in the case registered under the conversion law.
Recently, locals caught some people who had come from a church in Mussoorie while converting some people to Chiwala village. There was an argument and assault with the people who came to convert. The police had registered cases on both sides.
Cornelius is a pastor of the Union Church of Mussoorie. It is being told that after the investigation, the accused priest and others can also be arrested soon. This is the first case of religious conversion in the state after the amendment to the Freedom of Religion Act. After the amendment, the punishment under this law has been increased to 10 years.
According to police sources, the priest's team had been visiting Chiwala village for years. Prayer meetings were being held secretly here. These people were also distributing literature related to their religion in the village. According to sources, many types of confusion were also being spread about the original religion of the villagers. So, the villagers started trusting them.
Chivala in Purola is a sparsely populated village. Along with people of Uttarakhand origin, people of Nepal origin also live here. All of them were being given various temptations. Most of the villagers fell into this temptation and even converted. The local administration is now keeping an eye on the entire
village.