Christian Pastor arrested under Assam Magical Healing Act for religious conversion

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 23, 2024

In a first under the recently enacted Assam Magical Healing (Prevention of Evil Practices) Act, 2024, Assam Police arrested a Christian pastor in Upper Assam’s Golaghat district on Friday. The pastor, identified as Pranjal Bhuyan, a resident of Padmapur under Dergaon police station, has been accused of using alleged “magical healing practices” to lure individuals into converting to Christianity.

The pastor was produced before the court of Chief Judicial magistrate of Golaghat on Saturday who remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.

The arrest followed complaints from residents of Padmapur, who alleged that the pastor was exploiting people’s vulnerabilities by claiming to heal their illnesses through prayers to Christ Jesus. The complainants accused Bhuyan of leveraging these practices to influence religious conversions.

The police have registered a case against him under Case No. 200/2024, invoking Sections 316(2), 318(2), 354, and 299 of the BNS, read with Section 6(a) of the Assam Magical Healing (Prevention of Evil Practices) Act, 2024.

The Assam Magical Healing (Prevention of Evil Practices) Act, 2024 criminalizes the practice of “magical healing” with the intent to exploit or mislead individuals. Key provisions of the Act include designating such practices as a cognizable and non-bailable offense, punishments ranging from one to three years of imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs 50,000, or both.

The law aims to safeguard citizens from exploitative practices performed under the guise of supernatural or religious healing.

This case marks the first enforcement of the Act since its implementation. The incident is likely to spark debates surrounding religious freedom, anti-conversion laws, and the regulation of spiritual or faith-based practices.