New Delhi, February 16 The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the Chhattisgarh High Court order in a matter related to hoardings that allegedly prohibit the entry of pastors and converted Christians in some villages in the state.
The high court had disposed of two separate petitions seeking the removal of such hoardings in October last year.
Referring to a top court verdict, the high court had observed that the installation of hoardings to prevent forced conversion through allurement or fraudulent means cannot be termed unconstitutional.
A petition challenging the high court's order came up for hearing before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta on Monday.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioner, referred to a separate matter related to alleged attacks on pastors which is pending before the top court.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the petition before the high court was limited, but the petitioner has now added several new facts and documents in the petition filed in the apex court.
After hearing the submissions, the bench dismissed the petition.
The high court had noted in its order that the petitioners before it were raising the alleged issue of segregation of the Christian community and their religious leaders from the mainstream village community.
The petitioners had claimed before the high court that authorities had circulated a format of resolution in the Kanker district instructing the Gram Panchayat to pass a resolution in the name and style "Hamari Parampara Hamari Virasat".
They alleged that the real intention of circulating this circular to the Gram Panchayat was to instruct them to pass a resolution prohibiting the entry of Christian pastors and the so-called converted Christians into the village.
The petitioners had claimed before the high court that at least eight villages in the Kanker district had erected hoardings which say that the entry of pastors and "converted Christians" was prohibited in the village.
The counsel appearing for the state had argued in the high court that the petitioners had filed the pleas merely on the basis of apprehension that the hoardings were being erected at the instance of government authorities.
The high court had directed the petitioners to avail the statutory remedy before approaching the court.
"Further, in case the petitioners have any apprehension that they would be restrained from entering their villages or any threat perception exists, they may seek protection from the police," the high court had said, while disposing of the pleas.