Guwahati: A church leader in Assam was arrested for attempting to convert the villagers in Golaghat districts to Christianity. Police have detained the converted Christian leader in accordance with the recently enacted Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act. According to reports, a church leader from Padmapur village named Pranjal Bhuyan was detained for trying to “convert” the local Hindu population by using “magical healing practices.” The 38-year-old was placed under 14 days of judicial custody after appearing before the chief judicial magistrate on 23rd November.
The Golaghat police detained the church leader who works as a teacher. He used to tutor schoolchildren privately. After a meeting in Padmapur village a few months ago, the locals determined that since the church leader had been preaching the Bible to the kids during these sessions, no one would send their kids to Bhuyan’s house for study.
Following a formal complaint from the people, Bhuyan was taken into custody under the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act. In February 2024, the CM Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP administration submitted the legislation, which garnered the governor’s approval on March 14. “Any act of healing practices and magic healing, by any person, with a sinister motive to exploit common people” is what the Act defines as “evil practices.”
In accordance with Section 6(a) of the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act, 2004 and Sections 316(2), 318(2), 354, and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), the police have brought charges against Bhuyan. According to Section 6(a) of the Healing Legislation, anyone found guilty of breaking the Act or its regulations faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison for a first offense, which can go up to three years, a fine of Rs 50,000, or both.
In 2022, authorities arrested Ranjan Chutian from Moran in the Dibrugarh district for converting people to Christianity by establishing a “Naam Ghar” (a temple in Assamese culture). Ranjan Chutia, the arrested church leader, was praising Jesus Christ and converting others in the name of magical healing. Additionally, he abused Guru Shankardev’s Naam Kirtan to exalt Jesus Christ. Additionally, the missionary praised Jesus Christ using Bihu songs. After Hindu organizations later complained about Ranjan Chutia’s unethical behavior, he was taken into custody. Notably, Assam police have recently arrested numerous foreign missionaries for taking part in conversion events around the state.
