March 2011 – India
James Cleith Phillips

Fourteen recent converts to Christianity were arrested Tuesday, 29 March 2011, in the Indian state of Orissa for unlawful religious conversion. They were charged with violating Section 4 of the Orissa Religious Freedom Act of 1967, which states that no one can “convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any person from one religious faith to another by the use of force or by inducement or by any fraudulent means.”

Police are looking for the pastor deemed responsible for the conversions, which apparently took place over a several week period without authorities’ cognizance. It is not clear whether any type of force, inducement or fraudulent methods were used to convert the 14 that were arrested.

To view the story as first reported in the Hindustan Times, click here.