BAREILY: A local court has acquitted two men accused under the Anti-religious Conversion Act for solely keeping a Bible at home and ordered legal action against the complainant and the police officers responsible for filing what it deemed a baseless chargesheet and misuse of legal processes. Additional district and sessions Judge Gyanendra Tripathi described the case as “worrying for society”, warning that individuals could exploit legal systems for personal interests.
Abhishek Gupta, a 41-year-old radiology technician, and Kundan Lal, 38, were arrested on May 29, 2022, in Bichpuri village under the Bithri Chainpur police station’s jurisdiction after cops allegedly recovered a Bible from Gupta’s house.Himanshu Patel, a member of a right-wing group, reported to the police that Gupta, along with a group of eight people, was conducting a conversion programme. Police found Abhishek reciting Bible verses to a gathering and subsequently arrested him. The police filed a chargesheet on Dec 19, 2022, and the case was brought to court in July 2023.
In his judgment, the judge said, “For personal interests, anyone can register a case and initiate criminal proceedings against others. The police, under the guise of investigation, could even arrest someone for possessing a Rs 100 note. Abhishek Gupta not only lost his job but also faced severe financial and social hardship. Kundan Lal, who had no involvement in the case, was arrested alongside Gupta. The police, under pressure, attempted to legitimise a completely false and baseless accusation, resulting in a waste of valuable time for both the police and the court.”
Gupta, who has since moved to Gorakhpur, spoke of the frustration and distress the ordeal caused, explaining how the false charges turned his family’s life upside down. “My wife and I are Christians, and we pray on Sundays. I have no idea why people thought we were forcing conversions. Suddenly, an FIR was filed against us. I was sent to jail, and the hospital asked me to resign from my job. My wife, who worked at the same hospital, also had to quit. Our lives were turned upside down – we had to change our children’s school and move back to our hometown in Gorakhpur. We exhausted all our savings on this case. We will now seek compensation as directed by the court,” he told TOI. “We will seek compensation of Rs 50 lakh,” said defence counsel Imran Khan.
Abhishek Gupta, a 41-year-old radiology technician, and Kundan Lal, 38, were arrested on May 29, 2022, in Bichpuri village under the Bithri Chainpur police station’s jurisdiction after cops allegedly recovered a Bible from Gupta’s house.Himanshu Patel, a member of a right-wing group, reported to the police that Gupta, along with a group of eight people, was conducting a conversion programme. Police found Abhishek reciting Bible verses to a gathering and subsequently arrested him. The police filed a chargesheet on Dec 19, 2022, and the case was brought to court in July 2023.
In his judgment, the judge said, “For personal interests, anyone can register a case and initiate criminal proceedings against others. The police, under the guise of investigation, could even arrest someone for possessing a Rs 100 note. Abhishek Gupta not only lost his job but also faced severe financial and social hardship. Kundan Lal, who had no involvement in the case, was arrested alongside Gupta. The police, under pressure, attempted to legitimise a completely false and baseless accusation, resulting in a waste of valuable time for both the police and the court.”
Gupta, who has since moved to Gorakhpur, spoke of the frustration and distress the ordeal caused, explaining how the false charges turned his family’s life upside down. “My wife and I are Christians, and we pray on Sundays. I have no idea why people thought we were forcing conversions. Suddenly, an FIR was filed against us. I was sent to jail, and the hospital asked me to resign from my job. My wife, who worked at the same hospital, also had to quit. Our lives were turned upside down – we had to change our children’s school and move back to our hometown in Gorakhpur. We exhausted all our savings on this case. We will now seek compensation as directed by the court,” he told TOI. “We will seek compensation of Rs 50 lakh,” said defence counsel Imran Khan.