November 30, 2009: Two Christian advocacy groups have condemned the arrest of an Australian missionary in Andhra Pradesh last week.

The Global Council of Indian Christians and All India Christian Council reported that Australian missionary Paul Jemison was arrested on 24 Nov. in Adilabad "on false charges of forceful conversion".

The foreign missionary was dragged to the Utnur Police Station and a case was filed against him for indulging in conversion, a claim which both the groups have rejected.

The police apparently confiscated Jemison's visa and detained him in the station till late night and later released.

According to an AICC source, Missionary Jemison was arrested while "interacting with local people in the open place between JP Complex and Government College Employees Quarters."

It was Adilabad Division BJP Leader Sriram Nayak who complained to the police after being alerted by the District Tribal Welfare Officer Dasarath Nayak, it said.

Interestingly, no case has been filed against the missionary. “A decision to that effect will be taken only after the arrival of the District Superintendent of Police,” a police source was quoted saying.

In a related incident, the Director and employees of Operation Mobilisation (OM) were arrested in Karnataka on Nov. 24.

It was reported that a large group of Hindutva radicals barged into the residence of OM staff in Madugere, Tumkur, and "burnt Bibles, compact disks and Christian tracts".

The police after an inquiry concluded that the OM staff were maliciously attacked and subsequently offered protection to the Christians.

However, after being pressured by Hindu groups the police were forced to arrest four of the OM employees including the Director.

Although the Christians were later released, GCIC said, the "employees were forcefully shifted out of the rented house and were asked not to return to the village again.”