People from other faiths prayed for me, says Assam pastor absolved of ‘magic healing’ charges

Panjal Bhuyan. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A pastor successful eastbound Assam’s Golaghat district, who was arrested connected charges of converting radical done magical healing, said helium had religion successful the “power” of the Constitution of India to present justice.

A time aft the Golaghat territory tribunal dismissed the lawsuit against him, pastor Pranjal Bhuyan told The Hindu on Wednesday (May 14, 2025) that the corporate prayers of Christians and non-Christians had besides played a relation successful absolving him of a transgression helium did not commit.

The 38-year-old task coordinator of Golaghat Baptist Church was arrested connected November 23, 2024, nether the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act of 2024, which seeks to curb deceptive healing practices. The archetypal idiosyncratic to person been arrested nether this Act, helium was released connected bail six days later.

“The constabulary ailment was filed by a radical of radical who did not cognize me. I did not cognize immoderate of them either. They could person been influenced by idiosyncratic oregon instigated done societal media, which spreads hatred,” Mr. Bhuyan said.

The First Information Report against him was lodged astatine a constabulary presumption successful Dergaon, his location municipality astir 280 eastbound of Guwahati and 22 km northbound of territory office Golaghat.

“Why should I unit oregon lure radical done magical practices to person erstwhile I adopted Christianity voluntarily aft stepping into adulthood?” helium asked.

A Hindu by birth, Mr. Bhuyan said helium became a Christian successful 2006 aft watching immoderate shows by televangelists oregon tv preachers.

“I faced a batch of absorption astatine home, but my parents relented aft they recovered my relation with the religion made maine a amended idiosyncratic with a affirmative attitude. They became Christians six years aft me,” helium said.

‘Prayers only’

Mr. Bhuyan denied utilizing magic oregon tricks to brainwash people, arsenic alleged.

“I americium neither God nor a doc to cure anyone. People travel to maine for supplication requests for immoderate occupation they face. As a pastor oregon evangelist taught by the Bible to emotion radical of immoderate religion and commune for their well-being oregon forgiveness, I commune for them,” helium said.

“Some radical fto maine cognize that the prayers worked for them. I consciousness bully and determination connected to much prayers for others. If this is simply a crime, truthful beryllium it,” helium said.

Mr. Bhuyan said the members of his family, including his woman and daughter, were traumatised by his arrest. “I assured them that my content successful Christ and the Constitution of India would spot maine through,” helium said.

Hoping that helium would beryllium the archetypal and the past idiosyncratic to beryllium booked nether the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act, Mr. Bhuyan underscored the request to instrumentality the portion of instrumentality cautiously truthful that it was not misused.

“I was falsely accused of converting people, and the court’s verdict made it clear. However, I carnivore nary sick volition against the complainants due to the fact that not forgiving them volition spell against what I person imbibed,” helium said.

Published - May 14, 2025 10:28 p.m. IST