Christians held for ‘conversion’: Madhya Pradesh High Court reprimands GRP, orders probe into assault charge

On October 23, Hindu Jagran Manch activists made seven children alight from Mumbai-bound Awantika Express at Indore station after accusing Anita Joseph, who was to travel to Mumbai, and Amrit Kumar, who had come to see them off, of kidnapping and forcibly converting them.

While Anita and Amrit were sent to jail, the children were sent to a shelter home, the location of which was not known to their parents. This, despite the parents telling GRP officials that they had consented to the trip and showing documents to establish that all of them were practising Christians.

Thereafter, the parents filed a habeas corpus petition before the the high court. On October 30, the bench asked every child, aged between 5 and 17, if they were being taken to Mumbai forcibly. After hearing their replies, the court directed that they be immediately handed over to their parents.

In the order dated November 17, the court directed Addl SP, Mhow, Pankaj Kumawat, to probe the case against Anita and Amrit as well as complaints that the children were assaulted by the Hindu Jagran Manch activists. The allegations have been made by the parents in the writ petition and by the children in open court. The court has asked the SHO, GRP, to hand over case records to the IO.

The court rejected two pleas for intervention, one arguing that a couple misled court by claiming to be biological parents of a child they had adopted. The court said nowhere did the couple claim to be biological parents.