Christian Couple Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
The couple provided education, food, and encouraged people to stop drinking. They were convicted for attempted conversion.
Jose and Sheeja Pappachan are imprisoned after showing Christian care for villagers.
Text by: Stefanus Alliance and CSW.
A court in Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state, has sentenced a Christian couple for attempted conversion. They were convicted under the state’s anti-conversion law. In addition to five years in prison, they were fined 25,000 rupees.
This was reported by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the sister organization of Stefanus Alliance.
Jose and Sheeja Pappachan were convicted on January 22 under Section 3 of Uttar Pradesh’s Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion Act, which criminalizes religious conversion through coercion, misrepresentation, pressure, or other fraudulent means. They were also found guilty of violating a law aimed at preventing offenses against caste and tribal communities.
Politician Filed Complaint
The complaint was initially filed by a member of India’s Hindu nationalist ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The complainant is a member of Uttar Pradesh’s legislative assembly. In January 2023, he accused the couple of attempting to convert vulnerable individuals to Christianity. The couple denied the allegations, stating that they had only provided education and encouraged sobriety.
The couple was immediately imprisoned and spent eight months in pretrial detention while the case proceeded. In September 2023, they were released on bail by the Allahabad High Court. The court justified its decision by stating that "providing quality education, distributing the Holy Bible, encouraging children to pursue education, organizing gatherings for villagers, conducting bhandaras [community meals], and urging villagers not to fight or consume alcohol does not amount to inducement" for religious conversion.
The court also noted that, at the time the complaint was filed, only alleged victims or their close family members had the legal right to submit such a complaint.
Law Made Stricter
However, the law criminalizing conversion was amended on July 29, 2024. It now allows third parties to file a complaint, marking a significant worsening of the law, as it opens the door for activists to lodge accusations. The ruling by the special court in Ambedkar Nagar has been strongly criticized by Christian leaders in India.
The verdict has also caused severe distress for the couple. Jose Pappachan had to be hospitalized due to severe anxiety. The couple is appealing the ruling to the Allahabad High Court or possibly to India’s Supreme Court.
Raising the Alarm
CSW’s founder, Mervyn Thomas, stated: “We are alarmed by the systematic targeting of Christians in India today. Simply for exercising their constitutional rights and following their religious beliefs, this couple has become victims of harmful legislation. CSW urges the authorities to conduct an objective investigation and not be influenced by extremist religious rhetoric, which has created deep divisions in Indian society.”
Twelve Indian states have anti-conversion laws similar to that of Uttar Pradesh. The severity of punishment varies, with the maximum sentence reaching up to ten years in prison.
While convictions under these laws are rare, they serve as powerful tools for Hindu nationalist activists, politicians, and even mobs, who use them to accuse Christians of illegal conversions.
Last year alone, 110 pastors and priests were harassed or arrested, according to the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI). The number of reported cases of threats, harassment, and violence has increased sixfold from 2014—when the BJP came to power—to 2024. Uttar Pradesh leads the statistics as the state with the highest number of attacks on Christians.
On New Year’s Eve, over 400 Christian leaders sent an appeal—“a cry from the heart”—to the president and prime minister, urging action against those responsible for threats and violence.