Bhubaneswar, Apr 4 (IANS) – The Orissa High Court has sought details from the state government about an incident of forcible religious conversion that occurred nearly two months ago, a court official said Sunday.
Eight people, including seven women, of Killipal village in coastal Jagatsinghpur district who had embraced Christianity seven years ago were reportedly forcibly tonsured by a group of Hindu fanatics and reconverted to Hinduism Feb 10.
Social activist Priabir Kumar Das from state capital Bhubaneswar had filed a case in the high court regarding the incident.
Das said in his petition that the tonsured women had reportedly fled the village apprehending “further outrage of their modesty” by the Hindu group.
“Such an incident is very serious and may further fuel law and order problems in the state,” Das alleged.
A division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice S.B. Roy and judge B.P. Das directed the state government to inform the court in detail about the government’s version of the incident, a court official said.
This item was published on April 4, 2004, by Indo-Asian News Service.
