Gender: Female
Perpetrator: India
Religion or Belief: Christian – Unspecified/Other
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: October//2021
Date of Release: February//2022
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Belief Religious Figure & Religious Leadership Role
Nature of Charges: Conversion Hate Speech Public Disorder Threat
Savita Singh was detained in relation to her religious belief and activity.
In October 2021, authorities arrested Singh and her husband, Nandha Nathaniel, after they were accused of trying to forcibly convert people to Christianity. They were charged with "injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class" (Sec. 295 IPC), "intentional insult, with intent to provoke breach of peace" (Sec. 504 IPC), criminal intimidation (Sec. 506 IPC), "converting or attempting to convert...any other person from one religion to another by use or practice of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means" (Sec. 3 Uttar Pradesh Prohibition Of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020) and Section 5 (1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition Of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020.
On February 11, 2022, Singh and her husband were released from prison.
Related Case: Nandha Nathaniel
''They want to exterminate us': India's Christians fear rise in violence as Hindu nationalists set to win key vote" The Telegraph
"India: Pastors Arrested Under Conversion Law" Release International
"Pastor and Wife in Northern India Jailed on False Forced Conversion Claims" International Christian Concern (ICC)