REV. C.M. KHANNA RELEASED ON BAIL

Rev. C M Khanna, Pastor of the All Saints Church (CNI) from Srinagar, Kashmir has been released on bail, after spending 10 days in police custody at Kothi Bagh police station, Srinagar for a bond of Rs. 25,000. Rev. C.M. Khanna, who is a pastor in the Diocese of Amritsar, Church of North India, was arrested on false charges of creating communal disturbance. Rev. Khanna was picked up from his residence on November 19, 2011 evening on the pretext of meeting the I.G. Police. The Church people kept waiting for his return. It was only when he did not return till late in the evening that they enquired and found out that he had been arrested and kept in police custody. He wasn’t given any written communication concerning the charges leveled against him. 

Some of the Kashmiri seekers had been coming to the Church for more than a year and were receiving teachings from Rev. Khanna. On being approached by these seekers for baptism, Rev. Khanna verified their intentions and after being satisfied, baptized them in two batches in July 2011 and August 2011.

Recently, somebody released a video clip of the baptism ceremony on the YouTube which caused widespread unrest internationally, and especially in the Muslim world. Rev. Khanna received a summon from the Shariat court to appear before them. Though the Shariat Court has no legal validity, Rev. Khanna decided to appear before them to solve the crisis in an amicable way. The date was relocated to November 17t, 2011 on which he appeared before the Shariat court. According to Rev. Khanna the meeting went on for more than 4 hours. He felt that some of the people who were talking to him were quite hostile while few tried to protect him. He was finally asked to leave and return to his house. The verdict of the Shariat Court is still awaited.

The Bar Association of Kashmir warned its members against representing Rev. Khanna in the local court. The Rt. Rev. Samantaroy, Bishop, Diocese of Amritsar and Deputy Moderator, CNI Synod arranged for an advocate from Jammu to go to Srinagar to move the bail application. The Rev. C. M. Khanna was granted bail on November 30, 2011.