The Allahabad High Court recently granted bail to two women who were arrested in August this year on the allegations of condemning and criticising Hinduism and inciting people to convert to Christianity.

The court passed the order, noting that the state counsel failed to show any material or circumstances that the accused/applicants are not entitled to bail in the larger interests of the public or state.

“Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, nature of offence, evidence, complicity of the accused, submissions of learned counsel for the parties and without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, the Court is of the view that the applicants have made out a case for bail,” the court said.

According to the FIR, the informant in the case got to know that Anita Devi had been organising a meeting of 30-35 people wherein she used to incite people to convert to Christianity and used to say bad things about the Hindu religion. The FIR further stated that when the informant objected to the utterances made by the accused against the Hindu religion, he was offered money to convert himself to Christianity, and when he denied doing so, he was abused.

The accused moved the High Court, seeking bail by contending that during the investigation in the case, no person had been found converted, nor were there any specific details as to what was said by the applicants against another (Hindu) religion.

It was further argued by the counsel for the applicants that there is freedom to practice religion in the country, which is constitutionally permitted.

The AGA for the state opposed the bail; however, he did not dispute that there were no details of the words uttered by the applicants with respect to another (Hindu) religion nor there was any direct evidence found during the investigation with regard to any forced conversion.