Seoni, Madhya Pradesh:

Four people have been charged in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni district under provisions of the new law which penalises religious conversions through fraudulent means, the police said on Monday.

The accused allegedly tried to lure and pressurise the complainant, a resident of Simaria village, to change his faith, Adegaon police station in-charge Ishwari Patle said quoting the FIR.

A case has been registered against the four for trying to pressurise and lure the complainant for religious conversion under the new law and under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the officer said.

The complainant stated that the four persons started visiting houses in the village recently on the pretext of helping villagers, Mr Patle said.

“Villagers on Saturday informed the police that Joel Pastor, one of the accused, and three others were organising an assembly for religious conversion at a house in the village. When police reached the spot, Pastor and his associates fled from the spot,” the officer said.

Further investigation is underway.

Last month, the Madhya Pradesh government promulgated the Freedom of Religion- 2020 ordinance which penalises religious conversions by the use of misrepresentation, allurement, use of threat of force, undue influence, coercion or marriage or by any other fraudulent means. It provides for 10 years in jail in some cases.