A district court in Madhya Pradesh today acquitted Pastor Damar Singh and 11 others who were booked by the police in 2015 on the charges of stone-pelting, abusing, beating up and making life-threatening calls to a group of Hindus. Sections 147, 336, 294, 323, and 506 of the Indian Penal code were slapped against the accused.
After listening to the testimonies by the witnesses, the Mandelshwar District and Sessions Court has found that it was Pastor Damar Singh and others, who were beaten up. Judge Sangeeta Dawar Mayura exonerated Pastor Damar Singh and 11 others.
In 2015, a mob including VHP and Bajrang Dal activists, had reportedly attacked the Christians while they were in the middle of a Good Friday prayer led by Pastor Damar. The prayers were organised after taking due permission from the authorities. After the incident, Allied lawyers of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) India, a human right organisation, had approached the Court to secure the freedom of religion guaranteed under the constitution.
Tehmina Arora, Supreme Court lawyer and director of ADF India said, "This strengthens our faith in the Judiciary even though it has taken over three years for the pastor to get justice."
"Imagine the plight of these 12 who went through this ordeal for no fault of theirs," she added.