Beersheba Church of God in Kota, where a ‘Spiritual Satsang’ was organised from November 4 to 6. Photo: Special arrangement.
The Rajasthan Police has registered the first case under the State’s newly enacted anti-conversion legislation against two Christian missionaries in Kota, accusing them of carrying out religious conversions through “allurement” at a gathering. The three-day ‘Spiritual Satsang’ was held at Beersheba Church in Kota from November 4 to 6.
The first information report was registered late on Thursday (November 20, 2025) night on the complaints lodged by the local office-bearers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. The police have issued notices to the two pastors – Chandy Varghese from New Delhi and Arun John from Kota – while claiming that they promoted conversion and baptised several people during the programme.
The two missionaries were booked under Section 299 (act intended to outrage religious feelings) of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Sections 3 and 5 of the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025. The FIR registered at Borkheda police station stated that the accused had made offensive remarks about the Hindu community and described the Rajasthan government as the “devil’s kingdom”.
The police have launched investigation after obtaining videos and social media livestream clips purportedly showing the speeches and activities conducted during the event. Some youths allegedly announced from the stage that they had been baptised and had accepted Jesus Christ as their saviour, while calling upon others to adopt Christianity.
The police sources said on Friday (November 21) that the social media footage would be examined and the statements of those who attended the event would be recorded in view of the sensitivity of the matter, as part of the probe.
Pastor Arun John told The Hindu from Kota that the police had asked him and Pastor Varghese to respond to the notices within three days. “We have nothing to hide [about the programme]… Its videos are already in the public domain. No illegal activity was carried out at the gathering,” he said.
The State Assembly had passed the anti-conversion Bill during its monsoon session on September 9 and the Home Department notified the law on October 29. The legislation has drawn criticism for its steep penalties, including life imprisonment, fines up to ₹1 crore, and confiscation and demolition of properties for carrying out conversions through fraud, allurement or coercion.
Notably, those returning to their “ancestral religion” have been exempted from the law. Rajasthan is the latest Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled State to bring the statute aimed at curbing the alleged forcible religious conversions. Similar laws exist in the States such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
The Supreme Court earlier this week issued notice to the State government on a petition moved by the Jaipur Catholic Welfare Society challenging the validity of the Act. The Society contended in its petition that the law was “constitutionally flawed” and contradicted the Supreme Court’s judgments. It also asserted that the State legislature had exceeded its authority in enacting the law.
Published – November 21, 2025 10:25 pm IST
