Allahabad High Court: Peaceful distribution of Bibles and preaching is not a crime

The landmark ruling by the Allahabad High Court emphasizes that distributing and preaching the Gospel is not a criminal offense under the Prohibition of Conversion Act, as long as there is no coercion, deception, or unlawful inducement.

The Allahabad High Court in India has ruled in a landmark and unprecedented ruling that the mere distribution of Bibles and peaceful preaching, unless accompanied by coercion or deception, is not a criminal offence under the strict “prohibition of conversion” law in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The decision is being seen as a major victory for religious freedom and the rights of religious minorities in India.

The case began with a complaint filed on August 17, 2025 at Dhammaur police station in Sutanpur district, where Manoj Kumar Singh, the complainant, alleged that the accused held religious meetings at their home, distributed Bibles and tried to convert people through preaching.

According to the complaint, they had given Bibles to poor people, including women and children from the Dalit community, and used an LED screen to broadcast sermons. The complaint led to the registration of an FIR under sections of the Prohibition of Conversion Act, 2021 and the new Indian Penal Code (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023). The accused were immediately arrested, although at the time of filing the complaint, no one had claimed to have been forced or tricked into converting.

Emphasizing that at the time of filing the report, there was no victim or individual claiming forced conversion, the court considered this to be one of the fundamental pillars of anti-conversion laws that had not been observed in this case. The panel of judges clearly emphasized that: “Distributing the Bible and preaching the Christian religion is not a crime in itself and is not criminalized in any of the regulations.”

The court criticized the police's hasty action and arrest of the accused on the same day the FIR was registered, as there was no conclusive allegation of conversion at that time.

Another point of note was that the allegations of "encouraging religious conversion" were first recorded in supplementary statements two months later (on October 25, 2025), while there was no mention of this in the initial statements.

With this ruling, the court sent a firm message to law enforcement and the judicial bureaucracy that the expression of legitimate religious beliefs and activities, even if they contradict the beliefs of the majority, is not a criminal activity and that laws such as the Law on the Prohibition of Religious Conversion cannot be used as a means to suppress religious freedom.

The ruling also reaffirms the constitutional principle of freedom of religion and freedom of expression, which states that everyone has the right to choose, practice and propagate their religion, provided there is no force, deception or unlawful coercion.

The Allahabad High Court's verdict can be seen as a watershed moment in the fight against the misuse of anti-conversion laws. The decision is not only effective in this particular case, but also sends an important warning to government and judicial authorities not to use anti-conversion laws solely against peaceful and legitimate action.