Karnataka: Seven Persons Booked For Assaulting Pastor, His Family Over Alleged Conversion Activity

The police have reportedly lodged a complaint against the right-wing Hindutva activists under IPC Sections 143, 448, 323, 392, 506 and provisions of the SC/ST Act

Representative image of a person being attacked. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: Belagavi police on Sunday filed FIR against seven persons for allegedly assaulting a pastor's family in Mudalagi, who was accused of trying to convert their neighbours to Christianity.

The police have reportedly lodged a complaint against the right-wing Hindutva activists under IPC Sections 143, 448, 323, 392, 506 and provisions of the SC/ST Act. This attack take place almost a week after Karnataka's Right To Freedom of Religious Bill, 2021, commonly known as the Anti-Conversion Bill, couldn't become law in the state as BJP failed to prove its majority in the Legislative Council (Upper House).

Karnataka: Belagavi Police has registered an FIR against 7 people for allegedly assaulting the family of a pastor in Mudalagi on December 29, accusing them of converting their neighbours to Christianity, under Sections 143, 448, 323, 392, 506 of IPC & provisions of SC/ST Act

— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2022

According to a report on The New Indian Express, the attacks happened on December 29, 2021, when pastor Akshaykumar Karanganvi was performing prayers in his house, the activists forcefully entered his residence and attacked him and a woman alleging him of carrying conversion activities.

The miscreants were identified by the police as Shivanand Shivalingappa, Ramesh Dandapur, Parasappa Babu, Fakirappa Bagewadi, Krishna Kantikar, Chetan Rajendra & Mahesh Basalingappa, the reports further said.

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On December 23, 2021, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly has passed the bill amid vociferous protests by the opposition. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Shivakumar tore the copy of the anti-conversion bill before Congress staged a walkout from the state Assembly.

But, on December 24, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said that they couldn't discuss the bill in the Upper House despite listing to be tabled as the ruling BJP didn't have sufficient numbers to get it passed.