Jaipur: In one of the first cases registered under Rajasthan’s recently-enacted anti-conversion law, two Christian pastors have been booked in Kota district on the basis of complaints lodged by Hindutva outfits who alleged that they were carrying out illegal conversions.
One of the pastors named in the case has denied the allegations and has said that no conversion was being carried out in the event.
The FIR, lodged at the Borkhera police station in Kota on November 20 has booked pastor Arun John of the Beersheba church in Kota and pastor Chandy Varghese, the founder of Zion Global Worship Centre in New Delhi under section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the BNS along with sections 3 and 5 of the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025.
“The Beersheba church of god in Borkhera had organised a programme called Atmik Satsang between November 4 and 6. In that Satsang, Chandy Varghese, a pastor from Delhi was invited who arrived with his team. It has been alleged that their speeches provoked people for conversion. We have registered an FIR against John and Varghese and further investigation is being conducted. So far, no arrests have been made,” Devesh Bhardwaj, SHO, Borkhera police station in Kota told The Wire.
Bhardwaj added that the allegations of conversion first started making rounds after a video from the event organised by the Beersheba church was circulated on social media.
The FIR in the case was registered on the basis of complaints of Yogesh Rainwal, the Prant Sanyojak of the Bajrang Dal, Mukesh Sharma, the Mahanagar Saha Mantri of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Hariom Sharma, the Sewa Pramukh of the VHP.
“In the Beersheba Church located on Canal Road in Borkheda police station area, Arun John called Christian missionaries Pastor Chandy Varghese and other pastors from Delhi and from 4th November to 6th November 2025, Hindus were converted conspiratorially in the name of spiritual discourse and this evil act is continuing in the name of prayer,” says the FIR written in Hindi.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.