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India: Pastor Sentenced to Five Years Imprisonment for Alleged Forced Conversion of Hindus

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A pastor in India’s Madhya Pradesh state has been found guilty on false charges of forcing Hindus to convert to Christianity and has been sentenced to five years imprisonment, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014, India ranks 11 on the Open Doors World Watch List of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

Pastor Vikas Nimach was arrested in December 2021 together with five other Christians, after police received false complaints that the six believers were bribing Hindus to come to their church and become Christians in return for money and free medical treatment for their families, ICC reports.

While the other five believers were granted bail immediately, Pastor Nimach spent nine months in prison awaiting trial before eventually being granted bail, ICC said.

Then, on September 25, the Lower Court of Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh found Pastor Nimach guilty under Section 10 (2) of the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act. In addition to the prison term, the pastor was fined around $1,200. He will appeal the sentence, ICC said.

In a 2024 website report about the situation facing Christians in India, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization explains: “More and more states are also implementing anti-conversion laws, creating an environment where any Christian who shares their faith can be accused of a crime, intimidated, harassed and even met with violence.”