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The Hindu
14-05-2025
- The Hindu
People from other faiths prayed for me, says Assam pastor absolved of ‘magic healing' charges
A pastor in eastern Assam's Golaghat district, who was arrested on charges of converting people through magical healing, said he had faith in the 'power' of the Constitution of India to deliver justice. A day after the Golaghat district court dismissed the case against him, pastor Pranjal Bhuyan told The Hindu on Wednesday (May 14, 2025) that the collective prayers of Christians and non-Christians had also played a role in absolving him of a crime he did not commit. The 38-year-old project coordinator of Golaghat Baptist Church was arrested on November 23, 2024, under the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act of 2024, which seeks to curb deceptive healing practices. The first person to have been arrested under this Act, he was released on bail six days later. 'The police complaint was filed by a group of people who did not know me. I did not know any of them either. They could have been influenced by someone or instigated through social media, which spreads hatred,' Mr. Bhuyan said. The First Information Report against him was lodged at a police station in Dergaon, his home town about 280 east of Guwahati and 22 km north of district headquarters Golaghat. 'Why should I force or lure people through magical practices to convert when I adopted Christianity voluntarily after stepping into adulthood?' he asked. A Hindu by birth, Mr. Bhuyan said he became a Christian in 2006 after watching some shows by televangelists or television preachers. 'I faced a lot of resistance at home, but my parents relented after they found my association with the church made me a better person with a positive attitude. They became Christians six years after me,' he said. 'Prayers only' Mr. Bhuyan denied using magic or tricks to brainwash people, as alleged. 'I am neither God nor a doctor to cure anyone. People come to me for prayer requests for any problem they face. As a pastor or evangelist taught by the Bible to love people of any faith and pray for their well-being or forgiveness, I pray for them,' he said. 'Some people let me know that the prayers worked for them. I feel good and move on to more prayers for others. If this is a crime, so be it,' he said. Mr. Bhuyan said the members of his family, including his wife and daughter, were traumatised by his arrest. 'I assured them that my belief in Christ and the Constitution of India would see me through,' he said. Hoping that he would be the first and the last person to be booked under the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act, Mr. Bhuyan underscored the need to implement the piece of law carefully so that it was not misused. 'I was falsely accused of converting people, and the court's verdict made it clear. However, I bear no ill will against the complainants because not forgiving them will go against what I have imbibed,' he said.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
‘Magic healing' case against Assam church leader dismissed
A court in eastern Assam's Golaghat district on Tuesday (May 13, 2025) dismissed a case against a church leader who was arrested on charges of trying to convert people through magical or faith healing. The 38-year-old Pranjal Bhuyan, project coordinator of the Golaghat Baptist Church, was arrested on November 23, 2024 under the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act, 2024 that aims at curbing deceptive healing practices. Also Read | Plans to curb evangelism, polygamy in the State, says Assam Chief Minister Hailing the Golaghat district court's order, the Assam Christian Forum said the controversial law was slapped on Mr. Bhuyan after he was accused of engaging in 'so-called magical healing with the intent to convert individuals through his private tutoring and discussions on the Bible'. 'These baseless allegations not only caused personal distress to Mr. Bhuyan and his family but also alarmed the Christian community across Assam, marking the first instance of a church member arrested under this Act,' the forum said. It said the Golaghat court declared the accusations against the church leader unfounded after comprehensively reviewing the facts and evidence. The forum said that the judgment, besides bringing relief to Mr. Bhuyan and the Golaghat Baptist Church, would stand as a testament to the judiciary's impartiality and dedication to upholding the rule of law. 'The Assam Christian Forum reaffirms its unwavering trust in the Constitution of India, particularly Article 25, which guarantees every citizen the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate their religion,' the forum said. 'While celebrating the outcome, we urge the authorities and citizens to ensure the just and fair application of laws. The misuse of legislation, as in Mr. Bhuyan's case, not only disrupts individual lives but also poses a threat to communal harmony and social trust,' the forum's spokesperson, Allen Brooks, said. The forum further said that the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act, while intended to address exploitative practices, must be implemented with care and discernment. 'Mr. Bhuyan's wrongful arrest highlights the Act's potential for misuse and the urgent need for checks and balances in its enforcement,' the forum said.
