The first Christian charged under Uttarakhand state, India’s “anti-conversion” law has become the first to be acquitted under the statute, sources said.
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After a four-year legal battle, Judicial Magistrate Anju — who uses only one name — of the Ramnagar Court in Nainital District delivered the acquittal order on Sept. 17, clearing Pastor Nandan Singh, also named as Narendra Singh and popularly known as Pastor Nandan Singh Bisht, of all charges under Sections 3 and 5 of the Uttarakhand Religious Freedom Act, 2018.
“It was the first such acquittal since the legislation came into force in 2018,” said Rajesh Kumar, a friend of Pastor Bisht. “Pastor Bisht was the first Christian arrested in Uttarakhand under the law four years ago.”
The pastor’s legal ordeal began on Oct. 2, 2021, when he and about 25 Christians had gathered for an all-night prayer at his rented house. About 30-35 Hindus, mainly from nearby villages, barged into his home at about 10 a.m.
“They tore all the posters with Bible verses, four Bibles, threw all our song books, broke all the things inside the prayer hall,” Pastor Bisht told Morning Star News. “They slapped me twice and asked me, ‘You are a Thakore [by Hindu caste], why are you converting people?’”
Instead of arresting the assailants, police detained Pastor Bisht, his wife and 3-year-old daughter, taking them to the Ramnagar Police Station, where officers registered a case based on a written complaint by Jagdish Chandra.
Allegations
Chandra alleged that Pastor Bisht, living in Baida Jhal village with his wife Tripti Bisht and daughter Aradhana, was attempting to convert poor people and members of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities to Christianity. He claimed the pastor had been conducting evening prayer meetings for approximately six months and was offering allurements to local residents to embrace Christianity.
The complaint also stated that villagers demanding identification discovered Pastor Bisht possessed multiple address documents.
Police registered a case under First Information Report No. 567 dated Oct. 2, 2021, and turned the detention into arrest. They let his wife and child go. Bisht appeared before the magistrate the following day and was sent to Haldwani jail.
“I spent one day at the police station and seven days in the jail before I was granted bail,” Pastor Bisht told Morning Star News.
Sub-Inspector Narendra Kumar investigated the case and filed a charge sheet, and the court took formal cognizance on Nov. 12, 2021. Nearly two years passed before formal charges were filed on Sept. 12, 2023. The pastor denied all allegations and demanded a full trial.
World Watch
Christian support organization Open Doors ranks India 11th on its 2025 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. India stood at 31st place in 2013 but has steadily fallen in the rankings since Narendra Modi came to power as prime minister.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by Morning Star News.
