Supreme Court dismisses plea against Chhattisgarh HC's order prohibiting pastors' entry into villages

The top court declined to consider the plea against the high court's observation that the installation of hoardings for preventing forcible conversion by way of allurement or fraudulent means cannot be termed as unconstitutional.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging the Chhattisgarh High Court order, which declined to interfere with acts of putting up hoardings which allegedly prohibited the entry of pastors and converted Christians in some villages in the state.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta declined to consider the plea against the high court's observation that the installation of hoardings for preventing forcible conversion by way of allurement or fraudulent means cannot be termed as unconstitutional.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioner, referred to a separate matter relating to alleged attacks on pastors, which is pending before the top court.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the plea before the high court was limited but the petitioner has now added several new facts and documents in the petition filed in the apex court.

Upon hearing the submissions, the bench dismissed the petition. The high court had noted in its order that the petitioners before it were raising the alleged issue of segregation of the Christian community and their religious leaders from the mainstream village community.

The petitioners had claimed before the high court that authorities had circulated a format of resolution in Kanker district, instructing the Gram Panchayat to pass a resolution in the name and style "Hamari Parampara Hamari Virasat".

They alleged that the real intention of circulating this circular to the Gram Panchayat was to instruct them to pass a resolution prohibiting the entry of Christian pastors and the so-called converted Christians in the village.