Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Arvind D'Souza was stopped by the police "for reasons of public order," even though he had committed no crime. The incident occurred on 2 January in the district of Amethi, in Uttar Pradesh.
Mr D'Souza, who is still in prison under preventive detention, the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) told AsiaNews, ran afoul of a group of Hindu radicals in the village of Maulvikhurd.
The latter filed a complaint with police against the Christian man for "spreading Christianity" and "forced conversion of women and children through the gift of Bibles."
The local police, as Superintendent of Police to Amethi Hira Lal admitted, "found no evidence that D'Souza used force in converting anyone."
"However, since the fact could undermine public order, they took him into custody in accordance with Article 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and placed him under preventive detention for 14 days."
"This is a serious violation of human rights," said GCIC president Sajan George. It is part of "a trend that is spreading more and more in India."
"In Madhya Pradesh, families, including small children, have been arrested for forced conversions under the state's anti-Conversion law," George explained.
Sadly, such legislation is being used "as a political tool to terrorise and persecute the Christian minority."