On 23 March 2020, Pastor Keshab Raj Acharya received a call from a man requesting prayer for his sick wife. In response, Pastor Keshab invited the man to come to his house for prayer. When the knock at the door came later, four police officers were there to arrest him.
In November 2021, the Dolpa District Court sentenced pastor Keshab, 32, for “outraging religious feelings” and “proselytizing” after he shared gospel tracts and prayed with fellow citizens.
He appealed the ruling and was temporarily free on bail. In January 2024, the Nepali Supreme Court released an order confirming the sentence of one-year in prison. There is no other legal avenue to appeal his conviction, but his legal defence team is exploring options to have his prison sentence reduced or converted into a fine.