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The Allahabad High Court earlier this week refused bail to a Christian priest, observing that successful secular India it is incorrect for anyone to asseverate that their religion is the “only existent faith”. The tribunal noted that specified claims tin insult different religions and whitethorn autumn nether Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code.
The lawsuit stems from an FIR lodged successful Mau district, Uttar Pradesh, successful 2023, alleging that the accused, during supplication meetings, claimed Christianity to beryllium the “only existent religion”, thereby allegedly hurting the sentiments of different communities.
Justice Saurabh Srivastava, connected Wednesday (March 25, 2026), rejected the plea filed by Vineet Vincent Pereira.
“By a bare perusal of the narrations successful the FIR, it is evident that the applicant, successful his supplication meetings, repeatedly stated that determination is lone 1 existent religion - Christianity - and successful doing so, wounded the sentiments of a peculiar community, namely Hindus. India is simply a onshore wherever radical of each faiths coexist successful a secular authorities arsenic defined by the Constitution. Therefore, it is incorrect for immoderate religion to assertion it is the lone existent faith, arsenic it implies disparagement of different religions.”
The tribunal added that Section 295A of the IPC penalises acts done with deliberate and malicious intent to outrage the spiritual feelings of immoderate people of citizens by insulting their religion oregon faith.
“The behaviour of the applicant falls wrong the ambit of this provision, and astatine this stage, it cannot beryllium said that nary prima facie lawsuit is made out,” the judgement noted.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that the clergyman was falsely implicated, asserting that nary amerciable spiritual conversion had occurred and that the FIR did not disclose an offence nether Section 295A. It was further contended that the complaint expanse was filed without a just probe and that the magistrate had taken cognisance without due exertion of mind.
