UK Pastor Faces Legal Scrutiny in India Over Premature Anti-Conversion Charges

Pastor Pankaj Devnoor, a British Christian leader of Indian descent, was recently charged by police in Pune, Maharashtra, under the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026. The charges were filed on August 7, despite the fact that the legislation is not scheduled to take effect until August 28. Devnoor, who is affiliated with the Anglican Episcopal Church International in Manchester, was visiting Pune for a church anniversary celebration when local Hindu nationalist groups filed a complaint against him.

Upon realizing the legal error, authorities reportedly shifted their focus toward pursuing the case under alternative legal provisions. While the police did not detain the pastor, the incident has drawn international attention to the enforcement of anti-conversion laws in India. Critics argue that such actions reflect a broader trend of police prioritizing nationalist narratives over established legal procedures. Although several Indian states have enacted similar legislation to criminalize forced or fraudulent conversions, there have been no recorded convictions under these statutes to date.