Raipur: A senior Christian leader in Chhattisgarh was arrested on Aug. 7 and remanded for two weeks after police registered a first information report (FIR) alleging that he posted material on social media which hurt Hindu religious sentiments, officials said.
Police took into custody Arun Pannalal, 75, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, at his residence in the state capital and produced him before a local court on Aug. 8, which ordered remand for 14 days. The FIR, lodged following a complaint by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionary, applied provisions relating to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, provoking breach of peace and promoting enmity between communities.
Complaint and charges
The complaint was filed by BJP spokesperson Amit Chimnani, who submitted screenshots and URLs of a Facebook post and associated comments that, he alleged, were offensive to Hindu beliefs. According to the FIR, Pannalal had made what police described as a "highly objectionable comment" on a Facebook post by Hansraj Goyal, which questioned certain Hindu religious beliefs and referred to several Hindu deities.
Police named sections in the FIR related to outraging religious feelings and promoting enmity. No additional charges or specific sections have been disclosed publicly beyond those listed in the initial complaint record.
Family denies authorship, plans legal recourse
Pannalal's family has denied that he authored the offending remark and suggested the arrest was intended to intimidate. His son, Vaibhav Pannalal, said the post might have been created by someone impersonating his father and indicated lawyers would seek relief in the higher local court.
"My father did not post any message on social media, ridiculing any Hindu deity as alleged,"
Vaibhav told UCA News he suspected misuse of his father's name and photograph on social media. He said the family would approach the District and Session Court in Raipur for bail.
Context: law, enforcement and community concerns
Church leaders and rights activists criticise the arrest and say the policing of social media posts in the state has increased amid the enforcement of a stricter anti‑conversion law. Bishop Paul Toppo of Raigarh was reported as saying that the Christian community and its leaders had become vulnerable in this environment, though full remarks appear in separate reporting.
Activists and religious leaders have previously warned that stringent laws governing conversion and increased surveillance of online speech can be used to target minorities, but police maintain that action is taken only where complaints of communal offence are registered and where evidence is produced.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Aug. 7 | Arrest of Arun Pannalal at his Raipur residence |
| Aug. 8 | Produced before local court; remanded for 14 days |
What the FIR cites
- Alleged posting of a "highly objectionable comment" on a Facebook thread by Hansraj Goyal.
- Complaint by BJP spokesperson Amit Chimnani with screenshots and URLs attached.
- Charges recorded for acts intended to outrage religious feelings, provoke breach of peace and promote enmity between groups.
Officials have not released the full text of the disputed social‑media content. Neither the police nor the complainant has publicly produced the posts in full in statements available with this report.
Legal and communal implications
Lawyers for Pannalal are expected to move the District and Session Court in Raipur for bail. Legal practitioners note that courts will consider the FIR's material, the identity of the alleged author, and whether the post can be definitively traced to the accused before deciding on release.
Meanwhile, the case has drawn attention from church leaders and rights groups who say it illustrates broader anxieties among minority communities about law‑enforcement action linked to online speech and the implementation of conversion‑related statutes. Police say they are acting on a formal complaint accompanied by purported evidence; the accused's side disputes authorship and alleges possible misrepresentation on social media.
As proceedings continue, the matter will be heard in the appropriate judicial forum where the court will adjudicate on matters of custody, evidence and bail in accordance with law.
