Rajasthan court denies bail to 10 Catholics jailed after Mass disruption

Udaipur, August 6, 2026: A court in Rajasthan’s Banswara district has rejected bail pleas for 10 Catholics who have remained in judicial custody for more than three months following a confrontation during a Mass that was allegedly disrupted by a group of Hindu activists.

The Catholics, from Bandaria Parish in the Diocese of Udaipur, were arrested after the May 1 incident at a parish substation in Kalinjara village.

The bail applications were rejected on Aug. 5, a day after the court heard arguments in the case, according to Father Arvind Amliyar, parish priest of Bandaria.

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“We are deeply disappointed. Our people have been in prison for over three months despite attending a prayer service,” Father Amliyar told Catholic Connect.

The priest said the accused have now approached the Jodhpur High Court, with their bail petition expected to be listed next week.

According to Father Amliyar, 13 Hindu activists allegedly entered the parish premises while the Mass was underway, leading to a confrontation when parishioners tried to prevent the disruption.

Police subsequently registered a case against the Catholics, accusing them of rioting, attempted murder, wrongful restraint, breach of peace and illegal religious conversion.

The priest said the Catholics also attempted to file a complaint against those who allegedly disrupted the Mass, but police refused to register it, saying an FIR had already been lodged in connection with the incident.

Five other parishioners named in the case remain under police investigation, he added.

The arrests have raised concern within the Diocese of Udaipur. Bishop Devprasad John Ganawa expressed concern that Catholics who had gathered for prayer were accused of religious conversion and other criminal offences.

The bishop warned that continued use of such allegations could create fear among Christians attending worship services.

The case comes amid continuing concerns among Christian communities in Rajasthan over accusations of illegal religious conversion being levelled against people involved in Christian prayer gatherings.

The Catholics deny the allegations and maintain that they had gathered for prayer when the Mass was disrupted.

The High Court will now consider the bail plea of the 10 accused.

By Catholic Connect Reporter