The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the criminal case against a Christian priest who was booked by the Uttar Pradesh Police for allegedly saying that Christianity is the only true religion.

A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on the priest’s plea challenging the case against him. The Court also ordered that the trial will remain stayed while the matter is under consideration.

The case was filed on the grounds that the priest’s statement hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

Earlier, the Allahabad High Court had refused to quash the case. It observed that in a secular country like India, no one can claim their religion to be the “only true religion,” as it may amount to insulting other faiths.

The High Court also noted that Section 295A of the IPC deals with acts that deliberately and maliciously outrage religious feelings, and held that the priest’s actions could fall under this provision.

The priest has now challenged the chargesheet and the trial court’s order taking cognisance of the offence, which is currently under review by the Supreme Court.