On Tuesday night, during a Christmas prayer gathering in Shinkori village, Malayali Christian priest Father Sudhir and his wife Jasmine were arrested by local police in Nagpur-Amravati district. Authorities alleged that the couple had attempted to induce religious conversion. Four other individuals were also taken into custody for questioning, bringing the total number of accused to twelve.

Police said the arrests occurred while the prayer meeting was in progress. According to the allegations, some attendees were reportedly offered inducements to convert their religion. All the accused were later granted conditional bail.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan strongly condemned the arrests, calling the incident “deeply disturbing” and warning that it reflected a worrying pattern targeting religious minorities. He cautioned that such actions risk increasing societal polarization and undermining constitutional freedoms.

V.D. Satheeshan, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, wrote to the Prime Minister and the Maharashtra Chief Minister demanding the arrests be revoked. He emphasized that under Article 25 of the Constitution, freedom of religion is guaranteed to all, and no one should be arrested for attending a peaceful prayer meeting.

The CSI Bishops Council also condemned the arrests and pledged full legal support to Father Sudhir. Bishop Saibu Koshi Cherian highlighted that Father Sudhir has been serving Nagpur for nearly 12 years, focusing on children’s education and local community development.

The incident has reignited nationwide debate on religious freedom, misuse of anti-conversion laws, and protection of constitutional rights. Political parties and civil society organizations have called on the Maharashtra government to conduct a fair investigation and uphold the Constitution.