Chhattisgarh, High Court releases 10 Christians imprisoned since January
Leaders of local Protestant communities, they were arrested after clashes with other animist tribesmen in Narayanpur district. The archbishop of Raipur, Mgr Takhur, told AsiaNews: 'A courageous choice by the judiciary. There was no evidence against them, only pressure from the nationalist right'.
Raipur (AsiaNews) - The Bilaspur High Court, the highest court in the state of Chhattisgarh, granted bail to 10 Christian leaders of Protestant communities, who were arrested in January following sectarian violence between tribal Christians and animist believers of traditional religions, fomented by the nationalist right.
Lawyer Son Singh, who represented the Christian leaders, said his clients were framed in a false case in which they played virtually no role and that their innocence will be proven in court. They are charged with rioting, possession of deadly weapons, wilful harm to public officials on duty, criminal intimidation and assault. If convicted, they face sentences of up to 10 years in prison, as well as fines.
The ten Christian leaders had been arrested in the first week of January, amid violent clashes in the district of Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, between people who follow the traditional animist religion and Christians. According to a team report, 18 villages in Narayanpur and 15 in Kondagaon district were involved.
Msgr Victor Thakur, archbishop of Raipur and president of the Chhattisgarh Council of Catholic Bishops (CBCG), told AsiaNews: "I am grateful to the Bilaspur High Court for granting bail to the ten Christians. Our honest judiciary showed great courage: if they were granted bail, it means there was absolutely no substantial evidence to detain them, otherwise they are very reluctant to grant it. In the run-up to the elections, there was a public campaign against Christians by various groups affiliated with the nationalist right to implement a social and economic boycott of Christians and Muslims. This is why I commend the courage of the High Court in granting bail to these innocent people."
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03/01/2023 10:48
