The Supreme Court dismissed a plea challenging the Chhattisgarh High Court order on hoardings allegedly barring pastors and converted Christians from villages. The Court declined to interfere, noting the High Court had already advised petitioners to seek statutory remedies and police protection if needed.
The Supreme Court of India on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the Chhattisgarh High Court’s order in a case related to controversial hoardings allegedly put up in certain villages of the State, which were said to prohibit the entry of pastors and converted Christians.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused to interfere with the High Court’s October 2025 decision, in which two separate pleas seeking removal of such hoardings were disposed of. The matter has once again brought attention to the ongoing debate around religious conversions and community tensions in parts of Chhattisgarh.
Earlier, the Chhattisgarh High Court had referred to a Supreme Court judgment and observed that putting up hoardings aimed at preventing forcible religious conversion through allurement or fraudulent means cannot automatically be treated as unconstitutional.
The High Court noted that the petitioners were raising concerns about the alleged segregation of the Christian community and their religious leaders from the mainstream village population.
During the hearing before the Supreme Court, Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioner, referred to another case pending before the apex court concerning alleged attacks on pastors.
However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the plea, arguing that the issue raised before the High Court was limited in scope, but the petitioner had now introduced several new facts and documents in the petition filed before the Supreme Court.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Bench dismissed the plea.
Before the High Court, the petitioners had claimed that authorities in Kanker district circulated a format of resolution directing Gram Panchayats to pass a resolution titled “Hamari Parampara Hamari Virasat”. According to the petitioners, the real intention behind this circular was to encourage Gram Panchayats to adopt resolutions that would prohibit the entry of Christian pastors and so-called converted Christians into villages.
It was further alleged that at least eight villages in Kanker district had erected hoardings stating that the entry of pastors and “converted Christians” was prohibited. The petitioners argued that such actions created fear and discrimination against members of the Christian community.
On the other hand, the State’s counsel submitted before the High Court that the petitions were based only on apprehensions. It was argued that there was no concrete proof to show that the hoardings were installed at the direction of government authorities.
While disposing of the pleas, the High Court directed the petitioners to first avail the statutory remedy available under the law before approaching the court.
The Court also observed,
“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,”
thereby advising them to approach law enforcement authorities if they faced any actual threat.
With the Supreme Court now dismissing the challenge to the High Court’s order, the legal position remains unchanged for the time being. The decision indicates that the apex court was not inclined to interfere in the High Court’s reasoning, especially when alternative remedies were available to the petitioners.
The larger issues relating to religious conversion, alleged segregation, and protection of minority rights may continue to be examined in other pending matters before the courts.
Click Here to Read More Reports On Prohibition Case
