SC Told That Former VC Of Sam Higginbottom University Of Agriculture Being Charged Under Anti-conversion Laws

New Delhi, March 3 (TNA) A plea has been mentioned in the Supreme Court stating that Vice Chancellor of formerly Allahabad Agriculture University is being charged under anti conversion laws.

The Allahabad High Court has earlier denied anticipatory bail to the Vice Chancellor of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Dr. Rajendra Bihari Lal and Institute's Director Vinod Bihari Lal in connection with a mass religious conversion case, the apex court was further informed. The High Court had noted that according to the investigating officer, RB Lal and Vinod B Lal are influential persons.

Rejecting the bail application, the court had said that the motive behind his charity appears to be two-fold which was going to affect the interests of the lower strata of the society. The court has rejected the anticipatory bail applications, not finding a proper case to grant it anticipatory bail. Justice Manju Rani Chauhan heard the bail of RB Lal and other accused.

The petitioner's advocate said that the allegations of forcible conversion leveled against the petitioner are baseless and politically motivated. The petitioner is not named in the FIR. His name has been included later on the basis of statement of 2 witnesses. It was also said that the investigation officer in this case is biased.

It is important to mention here that against RB Lal and other people under Section 3/5 (1) of Uttar Pradesh Law Against Conversion of Religion Act 1921, and Section 531, 520, 420, 467, 468, 471 of IPC, Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Kotwali Fatehpur Office bearer Himanshu Dixit had filed a case. It was alleged that 90 Hindus were converted to Evangelical Church of India with the connivance of the above accused.

When the team of officials reached the church on the complaint, they questioned Pastor Vijay Masih. Vijay told the officials that the process of conversion has been going on for the last 34 days and it will be completed in 40 days.

It was also learned that efforts were being made to convert the patients admitted in the Mission Hospital and the hospital staff were playing an active role in this. On this complaint, the police had registered an FIR against 35 named and 20 unknown people.