The Supreme Court of India on Friday intervened in a controversial religious case, staying criminal proceedings and summons against a Christian priest accused of outraging religious feelings by claiming Christianity is the “only true religion.”
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government following a petition filed by Reverend Father Vineet Vincent Pereira. The priest moved the apex court to challenge a March 18 order from the Allahabad High Court, which had previously refused to quash the criminal case against him.
The legal battle stems from an FIR lodged by the Uttar Pradesh police, alleging that Father Pereira held prayer meetings where he repeatedly asserted the exclusivity of his faith. According to the prosecution, these statements hurt the sentiments of other communities.
Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, representing the priest, argued that the police wrongly invoked Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This specific section deals with “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.”
While the police investigation found no evidence of illegal religious conversion, the authorities proceeded with a chargesheet based solely on the allegations that the priest criticized other faiths.
Prior to reaching the Supreme Court, the matter was heard by the Allahabad High Court. In its March 18 ruling, the High Court took a stern view of the alleged remarks.
“It is wrong for any religion to claim that it is the only true religion as it implies a disparagement of other faiths,” the High Court had observed. The court emphasized that in a secular country like India, where diverse faiths coexist, such claims could prima facie attract the provisions of Section 295A.
The High Court dismissed Father Pereira’s plea, stating that a magistrate is not expected to conduct a “mini-trial” at the stage of taking cognisance and that the validity of the evidence should be examined during a full trial.
Counsel for Father Pereira maintained that the priest had been “falsely implicated” and that the essential ingredients for an offense under Section 295A were entirely missing. The defense further contended that the magistrate took cognisance of the chargesheet without proper “application of judicial mind.”
After hearing the preliminary arguments on Friday, the Supreme Court bench agreed to stay the summons and the ongoing criminal proceedings until further notice, seeking a formal response from the Uttar Pradesh government.
