Indian Court Rejects Catholic Bishop's Bail Plea

UCANews ^ | 6/5/23

[marshmallow]

A court dismissed Bishop Gerald Almeida anticipatory bail in a case of converting Hindu destitute children in an orphanage

A lower court in a central Indian state has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of a Catholic bishop and a nun, forcing them to move to the higher judiciary as they face charges of converting Hindu destitute children in an orphanage to Christianity.

The district and sessions court Katni in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on June 2 dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur and Sister Liji Joseph of Congregation of Mother Carmel.

The bishop and the nun are associated with Asha Kiran (ray of hope) Children’s Care Institute, which houses 47 destitute children who lived on railway platforms.

The court order said anticipatory bail is granted only in exceptional circumstances.

Anticipatory bail "has to be granted only when the court is convinced that exceptional circumstances exist to resort to that extraordinary remedy,” the order said.

Diocesan Father Thankachan Jose told UCA News on June 5 that they are moving the state's top court.

“We are in the process of filing an appeal against the order before the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court,” he said.

This is the second case registered against 77-year-old Almeida in little over two months.

Priyank Kanoongo, the chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, lodged the complaint against the bishop and the nun on May 30 after a surprise raid at the diocese-run orphanage at Katni railway junction.

[Flaming Conservative]

This is why you don’t want a Hindu president. We tend to think of Hindus as peaceful, live and let live types, but they’re religion is actively opposed to Christianity.