Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has stayed the probe against a pastor’s family accused of converting a Hindu woman to Christianity through inducement and coercion, noting that police invoked provisions of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act without the mandatory prior sanction.

Police sought the required sanction only last week, nearly five months after adding anti-conversion charges, after the family moved the High Court seeking quashing of the complaint.

The case originates from a May 2025 FIR in which a 27-year-old widow accused the pastor’s son, a doctor, of rape on the promise of marriage. The FIR was lodged at Mandvi police station in Surat district, and a chargesheet was filed in July 2025.

In December 2025, police filed a supplementary report alleging illegal conversion of the complainant, leading to inclusion of charges under relevant sections of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act against the doctor’s parents, two sisters, and two other relatives.

The charges were based on the woman’s statement that the doctor said he would marry only a Christian, following which she began participating in religious practices and was eventually converted.

Challenging the action, the family’s advocate argued that prior sanction from an authority not below the rank of sub-divisional magistrate is mandatory under Section 6 of the Act.

The court was told that the investigating officer applied for sanction on April 23, days after the High Court adjourned the matter to April 27.

On April 27, Justice M R Mengdey noted that no sanction had been granted. The court issued notice to the authorities, sought replies by August 20, and stayed further investigation against the family till then. DeshGujarat