(LifeSiteNews) — Ten Catholics in India were released from prison after 104 days of incarceration for defending their church from a group of Hindu activists, one of whom was carrying a knife, that stormed the building during Mass.
The 10 individuals returned home on the night of August 13 after the Rajasthan High Court granted them bail after more than three months in prison. The men were arrested after a group of Hindu activists entered the church building during Mass in Kalinjara village on May 1, accusing those present of religious conversion and cow slaughtering. The Catholics were subsequently charged with illegal conversion, attempted murder, rioting, and breaching the peace.
“We are happy and relieved as our people have been released after being imprisoned for over 100 days on false charges,” Bishop Devprasad John Ganawa of the Diocese of Udaipur told EWTN News.
“All of us spent days in jail praying,” one of the freed Catholics said, but because the men were held in separate cells, they were unable to pray together. He affirmed that none of the group became ill during their imprisonment and added that the experience strengthened them rather than weakening their faith.
“The days we spent in jail did not frustrate us. It has only strengthened us in faith,” he said. He also thanked those who prayed and worked for their release.
“Our people are victims of the anti-conversion law,” Ganawa said, adding that the diocesan legal team pursued the case after bail had been denied by the district court.
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According to a report by Catholic Connect, the incident began during an evening novena prayer and Mass attended by about 70 Catholics. Approximately 12 or 13 men entered the church during Communion, questioned those present, and accused them of “conversion.” The men were members of a “Hindu Sena” group and said they had come after receiving information concerning “cow slaughter and conversion activities.”
According to Father Arvind Amliyar, during the May 1 Hindu raid, the confrontation became tense after the intruders began filming; one man was seen with a knife. Parishioners took the weapon from him and forced the group to leave the church. Catholic Connect reported that the men subsequently fled, leaving several motorcycles behind.
Police arrived at the scene and arrested four people after the confrontation. Amliyar alleged that the police response was “one-sided” and that four Catholics were detained. He also said attempts to have a complaint registered were unsuccessful.
The Hindu Sena (“Hindu Army”) is a Hindu nationalist organization founded in 2011 by Hindu extremist Vishnu Gupta in the Indian capital of New Delhi. It is an activist and militant group, not officially affiliated with any political party but closely aligned with the Hindutva ideology, which promotes the vision of India as an exclusively Hindu nation. The Hindu Sena is known for demonstrative actions and violent protests against religious minorities, particularly Christians and Muslims.
The Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act took effect in October 2025, months after the May 1 raid. Under the law, people accused of causing a religious conversion bear the burden of demonstrating that the conversion was not unlawful, making obtaining bail more difficult in court.
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The arrests echoed other recent cases in which Catholics have faced allegations of forced conversion, including the 2025 arrest of two nuns who were unjustly accused of forced conversions despite official documents disproving the allegations.
On July 15, India’s Supreme Court heard a petition filed by Archbishop Peter Machado, together with other Christian leaders and organizations, asking the Court to intervene to stop the growing wave of violence, harassment, and disruptions of worship targeting Christian communities. They urged the Court to issue concrete protective measures, ensure accountability for attackers, and prevent police from charging Christian victims with “forced conversions” after they themselves have been assaulted. The request includes a call for the repeal of state anti‑conversion laws, which they argue are being misused to criminalize ordinary Christian religious activity and fuel hostility against believers.