- 10 August, 2026
NEW DELHI, August 10, 2026: A group of activists working on religious freedom, minority rights and civil liberties has called for the immediate release of Arun Pannalal, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, following his arrest in Raipur and subsequent remand in judicial custody.
According to a statement issued by the activists, Pannalal was arrested from his residence late on August 7 after police entered his home and took him into custody. He was subsequently remanded to judicial custody on August 8, the statement said.
The arrest reportedly took place while Bajrang Dal members were gathered outside Pannalal’s residence in protest. The activists also alleged that a heavy police presence was deployed at the location.
Pannalal has been a prominent advocate on issues concerning religious freedom, anti-conversion legislation and the rights of Christians in Chhattisgarh. The activists described him as a consistent critic of what they termed communal targeting of minorities in the state.
The case against Pannalal followed a complaint filed by BJP spokesperson Amit Chimnani over an alleged comment attributed to Pannalal on a Facebook post concerning Lord Shiva. He has reportedly been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning the promotion of enmity between groups, deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings and intentional insult aimed at provoking a breach of peace.
The activists questioned the invocation of these provisions, alleging that criminal laws are increasingly being used against minority voices while alleged provocations targeting minorities are not addressed with similar urgency.
They also raised concerns about the circumstances of Pannalal’s arrest, particularly its timing at night and the reported presence of members of a Hindutva group outside his residence.
The statement further alleged that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai had publicly characterised Pannalal’s remarks as objectionable to Sanatan Dharma before the matter had been adjudicated by a court.
“When the head of a state government pre-judges a criminal case against a minority activist within hours of his arrest, the presumption of innocence has already been buried, and judicial custody becomes a formality,” the activists said.
The group placed Pannalal’s arrest within what it described as a wider pattern of concerns over religious freedom and minority rights. It referred to the implementation of Chhattisgarh’s amended anti-conversion law, the commemoration in Odisha of individuals associated with the anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal, and what it described as increasing restrictions on minority religious practice and dissent in various parts of the country.
“Arun Pannalal’s real offence is that he has refused to stay silent about any of it,” the statement said.
The activists demanded Pannalal’s “immediate and unconditional release on bail” and called for a fair and transparent judicial process free from executive commentary. They also urged an end to what they described as the use of criminal law to silence political or minority dissent.
Invoking Articles 19 and 25 of the Constitution, the activists said freedom of expression and freedom of conscience must be protected irrespective of a person’s religious identity.
The statement appealed to the Chhattisgarh government to uphold constitutional guarantees, concluding that “governing a state is not the same as running a vendetta.”
The statement was signed by Dr John Dayal, Fr Cedric Prakash SJ, Minakshi Singh, Dr Richard Howell, Dr Goldy George, Jay Jayaram, Fr Frazier Masceranhas, Ashok Sharma, Dr Fatima Poonawala and Blessy Prasad Mathews, among others.
By Catholic Connect Reporter
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