By Matters India Reporter

Meerut, Dec 2, 2022: Seven people jailed for alleged religious conversion in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh languish in a jail after they failed to execute the bail order two weeks after a court granted their release.

The District court in Meerut, a town in western Uttar Pradesh, on November 17 granted bail to eight people accused of violating the provisions of the state’s anti-conversion law. Barring one, the rest are yet to be released from the prison.

“We could not release our family members and friends in the prison as we are unable to meet the requirements to execute the bail order,” says wife of a jailed person.

The court’s bail order directed the accused to execute a personal bond of 100,000 rupees and two guarantors of the same amount. The prisoners’ family members say the bail conditions are beyond their capacity.

Those languishing in the jail are members from impoverished Dalit (formerly untouchable) communities who live in a shanty at Mangatpuram, a suburb of Meerut district headquarters.

They were arrested on October 28 for allegedly violating the anti-conversion law by offering those living in the slum allurements such as food articles among others.

They were produced in the court that remanded them to judicial custody.

According to the accused, they were trapped in the false case of religious conversion after they opposed the attempt of powerful real estate owners to take over their land.

They have been living in temporary shelters mostly made up of tarpaulin for many decades.

The local police and the administration allegedly sided with the builders. “We are now facing their ire,” said a local youth who asserted his people have not asked anyone to become Christians and none of the slum dwellers has converted to Christianity.

“It is a very tough situation for them,” says Pastor Joy Mathew, who is in touch with the accused.

“They are poor who have nothing other than the seeping tarpaulin sheds or handcarts in which they sell vegetables, the pastor told Matters India. “Where will they find 100,000 rupees and two guarantors for equal amount?” he asked.

“It is unlikely that anyone will stand guarantee for them especially in view of the hostile environment existing in the state,” he added.

Generally, a court asks for a surety of 10,000 to 25,000 Indian rupees for granting bail unless the alleged offense is of very grave nature and the accused is perceived to escape after coming out on bail. “In this case we never expected the court would impose such a huge amount as surety which is beyond the capacity of the accused to furnish the court and get bail,” the pastor said.

However, one woman among the accused succeeded in executing the bail conditions and got out from the jail. “The others are languishing in the jail as they are unable to fulfill the bail conditions,” said a local youth who is trying to mobilize fund and guarantors for the accused.

The youth appealed all right thinking people to come forward to help their release from the prison.

Christians in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, say they have been persecuted for their faith especially after the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government enacted the anti-conversion law in 2020.

The state has recorded 149 incidents of persecution against Christians this year, according to a finding of the ecumenical United Christian Forum (UCF). Among them 38 cases are registered under the anti-conversion law.

The UCF also points out that the number of violent incidents against Christians rose to 486 in 2021 from 279 in 2020.

Christians make up only 0.18 percent of Uttar Pradesh 200 million people.