Christian evangelists lure Hindu villager to convert to Christianity by offering them allurements
Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, India 
14 January, 2022
Case Summary
In Madhya Pradesh's Sehore District, police arrested four individuals for attempting to force a Hindu villager, Manohar Bansal, to convert to Christianity in Guradi village. The Christian evangelists had approached Bansal four days prior, offering money to persuade him to convert. When the villagers became aware of the situation, they apprehended the accused and handed them over to the Icchawar Police Station. Sehore Superintendent of Police, Mayank Awasthi, confirmed the arrest. The Christians had been trying to lure several villagers, pressuring them to accept Christianity by offering incentives like free education for children, a well-paying job, medical facilities, and access to cash. Bansal revealed that they had first pressured him to convert a month ago and returned with similar demands. Villagers also reported that they were threatening locals, claiming, "there is no God other but Jesus." The four accused, Tagraj, Rajaram Malviya, Sunil Malviya, and Tej Singh, were charged under Sections 3 and 5 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the hate tracker under the prime category- Predatory Proselytisation. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Conversion/ attempts to convert by inducement- Predatory Proselytisation is not just limited to threat, harassment, force and violence, but it also has contours of stealth. In several cases, the Hindu victim is exploited to convert, with non-Hindus taking advantage of their poverty. In such cases, the Hindu victim who is suffering financially is offered monetary benefits, including lucrative offers for jobs, health treatment, education, etc, to induce the victim into changing his/her religion. In such cases, the religious identity of the victim and the aim to disenfranchise him from his faith form the heart of the crime. Also, taking advantage of and exploiting an individual’s economic vulnerabilities is widely acknowledged as exploitation, forms of which are often penalised by law. Such cases therefore are considered religiously motivated hate crimes since the victim’s religious identity forms the very heart of the crime itself. In this case, the Christian evangelists were attempting to exploit a specific vulnerability of a Hindu villager who in all likelihood belonged to the economically backward section. The missionaries exploited the poor victim by promising him money, free education for children, a well-paying job and cures for their ailments - a cure that he either could not afford or for incurable diseases. Since exploiting vulnerabilities for the explicit purpose of conversion is purely based on animosity towards the victim's faith, this case has been categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
