Pastor Janmajaya Bhattarai continues in police custody on charges of evangelising schoolchildren during a Christmas gift distribution. “Advocacy efforts are going on,” said BP Khanal, Lead Commissioner, Religious Liberty Commission Nepal Christian Society, Kathmandu, Nepal, while speaking to Christian Today. “But, it seems that the efforts are failing due to the biasness and stereotype against the Christian community in the country,” he added.
Bhattarai was arrested on 24 December 2024 - Christmas Eve - from his residence in Lamki-Chuha Municipality, Kailali, at approximately 7 a.m. The pastor has been taken to Kailali District Court where his case awaits hearing.
The arrest stems from a charitable event on 18 December when Bhattarai and his team distributed 30 bags and clothing items to underprivileged students at Sahid Smriti Madhyamik Vidhyalaya. This gift-giving practice has been a Christmas tradition for the pastor over several years, conducted at the written request of local schools including Shree Bal Kalyan Secondary School and Shaheed Smriti Madhyamik Vidhyalaya.
The situation escalated after Bhattarai broadcast the event on his Facebook page, drawing attention from religious extremists. Subsequently, the School Management Committee questioned the principal, who then held a press conference accusing the pastor of evangelising students against their instructions.
Ganesh Dhakal, Chairman of the School Management Committee, claimed that they verbally objected to religious preaching during the event and later submitted a written objection on 24 December. Their press release states that while Bhattarai had been granted a 15-minute window to distribute gifts, he allegedly used the opportunity to share Christmas greetings and religious messages, which they believe damaged the school's reputation.
In response, several Christian organisations - including the Nepal National Christian Society, Lamkichuha Nagar Christian Society, and Lamkichuha Nagar Jawan Samiti - issued a joint statement categorically denying the accusations. “The sole purpose of this work is to help the economically weaker sections of society. Portraying it as religious propaganda is wrong and misleading,” the statement reads.
Pastor Chandra Bahadur Thapa, President of the Nepal National Christian Society, called the allegations “completely false and baseless,” stating: “No religious sermons or Bibles were preached during the educational material distribution program.”
Niroj Tolange, General Secretary of the Christian Journalist Fellowship Nepal and religious freedom activist, has called the arrest “a mockery of secularism” and demanded the immediate release of Pastor Bhattarai. Meanwhile, Christian community representatives have pointed out that Hindu religious leaders frequently visit schools to speak about their faith without facing similar consequences.
Pastor Bhattarai currently remains in police custody at Kailali District Court awaiting his hearing. Christian organisations continue to maintain that the gift distribution was conducted solely as humanitarian aid following formal written invitations from the schools themselves.
