Believer in Madhya Pradesh urged to frame false charge against pastor

A recent convert in Mayapuri, Madhya Pradesh, was arrested by the local police and pressurized to give false evidence against his pastor and implicate him on conversion charges, Christian Today has confirmed.

According to Compass reports, Ramesh Thakur, a new believer, was arrested on October 24 and charged with "insulting religious beliefs" by the Dewas Gate police and was released the following day after intense interrogation.

Thakur was also arrested again detained on October 26 and was urged to give false testimony against his pastor.

It is reported that Pastor Jagdish Bharti of Mayapuri area of Ujjain district, who was arrested last June on charges of "insulting religious beliefs," is still fighting those charges.

According to R.R. Malvi, officer–in–charge of the Dewas Gate police station, Thakur would continue to be detained till investigations are completed.

"On Tuesday the police barged into Ramesh Thakur’s house and ordered him to produce all house documents," Pastor Bharti of the Bethel Fellowship Church told Compass. The church holds Sunday prayer meetings at the home of Thakur. "However, since he did not have any papers on hand, they took him to the police station, where he was threatened with dire consequences if he were shielding me."

The pastor added that police officials inquired, in an intimidating manner, whether Thakur was given the house as an allurement to become Christian.

Though Thakur has not yet been baptized, he received Jesus as savior seven months ago and has been praying and worshipping at the Bethel Fellowship Church since then. Pastor Bharti told Compass that since their arrest on June 4, the Hindu extremist outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, have subjected them to insults, abusive language and threats.

While Compass has reported that Malvi had informed Dilip Akodiya of the Bethel Church that he was under tremendous political pressure to place charges against Thakur, Viju Varghese, state coordinator of Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) has accused the RSS of offering Thakur Rs. 25,000 ($ 555) to implicate Pastor Bharti in a charge of "allurement" to convert.