The Bombay High Court's Nagpur bench has dismissed criminal proceedings against four people accused of pressuring a Hindu couple to convert to Christianity, ruling that promoting one's own religion does not automatically amount to an offence against another religious community.
In an order dated 6 October, Justice M. W. Chandwani said the allegations against the four residents of Amravati, in Maharashtra state, did not establish the deliberate and malicious intention required to prove the alleged offences.
The case involved Joseph Khudawant, his son Victor, his daughter-in-law Elvina and social worker Anant Mankar. Prosecutors alleged that they had offered a Hindu couple monthly financial assistance, payment of their children's school fees and a house in return for converting to Christianity.
The four challenged the allegations and sought to have the case dismissed. The court concluded that the claims, even when considered in the light most unfavourable to the accused, did not establish the necessary legal grounds for the charges. It therefore quashed the complaint and related charge sheet.
The ruling clarified that sharing or promoting religious beliefs does not, by itself, prove that a person has deliberately insulted another faith or hurt the religious sentiments of its followers.
However, the judgement does not give permission for conversions obtained through force, fraud or unlawful pressure. Rather, it emphasises that criminal proceedings must be supported by evidence that meets the requirements of the law.
The court also considered when the alleged events took place. The incident was reported to have occurred in 2025, before Maharashtra's new law against unlawful religious conversions came into force on 28 August 2026. The court therefore assessed the case under the legal provisions applicable at the time, highlighting that a later law cannot be used retrospectively to make earlier conduct a criminal offence.
Article 25 of India's Constitution protects freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practise and propagate religion, subject to constitutional restrictions. The ruling has renewed discussion about how this protection applies when allegations of unlawful religious conversion are brought before the courts.
The case has attracted attention among Christian communities in Maharashtra, where concerns have been raised about the possible impact of anti-conversion legislation on religious activities. The judgement highlights the need to distinguish between the lawful expression of religious beliefs and conduct that can be proven to violate the law.
Based on reporting by Asia News.
