By Matters India reporter
Ratlam: More than 60 Christian children were pulled out of a train and detained at a police station in central India on suspicion of conversion.
The incident occurred on May 21 at Ratlam, a town in Madhya Pradesh state.
The children, all 12 and below, belonged to Meghnagar in the same state and 85 km south of Ratlam. They were on their way to attend a weekly program of the Shalom Church, a Pentecostal group, at Nagpur in central India, 615 km southeast of Ratlam.
They had to change trains at Ratlam where a Hindu fringe group allegedly entered the train alleging the children were being taken for conversion.
On their complaint, the Railway police searched all coaches and forced the children to get off the train. They were then taken to the police station for “verification.” The children remained at the station from 7 pm to nearly midnight. They were then handed over the Child Line, a government agency, which took them to a care center.
The police later admitted that they found no basis for the conversion charge.
The children were seen in visuals standing around policemen who asked them their names and addresses. Seven people who accompanied the children were questioned until 2:30 am on May 22.
According to Father Rocky Shah, spokesperson Jhabua Catholic diocese, the children were yet to be released.