India's eastern Orissa state which lapped newspaper headlines with the shocking murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons, is again on broadsheet over reports of 18 Hindus converting to Christianity in the state's Kendrapara district last week.
This has set off the debate on conversions afresh even as tensions prevailed in Korua-Damasahi village after villagers heard about the incident, which was allegedly undertaken in two phases in the past week.
Top police and district officials rushed to the village to ascertain if it was a voluntary act or had occurred under duress.
The Kendrapara district Sub-collector Madan Mohan Deo who was probing the incident on Sunday however ruled out any compulsion, inducement or pressure behind the conversion of 18 Dalits (lower caste Hindus) to Christianity.
According to Mr. Deo, all the 18 converted Christians had told the investigating team that they had embraced Christianity voluntarily.
However they had failed to obtain prior permission of the district collector as required under the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, (OFRA) he said.
On being questioned by the probe panel as to why they had not sought the permission of the collector, the new converts revealed '' We were not aware of the law'', Mr. Deo stated.
The Sub-Collector said he had already submitted a report regarding this to the district collector and the latter would take a decision as per the law.
Under the provisions of the OFRA, It was the Collector's prerogative to grant permission for conversion if he was satisfied with the circumstances under which it was taking place.
According to reports from the Kendrapara district about 18 Dalits (registered under Scheduled Castes) of the Korua-Damasahi village had converted to Christianity in two phases in the first week of June.
While 14 people embraced Christianity on July 1 at a church at Paradeep, four others changed their faith at a function held on July 4 at a church near Ghanagolia, close to the village, the Sub-collector said.