Siddharthnagar, UP: Two arrested for forcing villagers to convert to Christianity by denigrating Hinduism
Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India 
14 September, 2024
Case Summary
In Panni village, Mohana police station area, two individuals were arrested for attempting to convert people to Christianity through religious preaching. The incident occurred on September 15th at the house of Chandrabhan, where Phool Singh, also known as Pastor, from Maharajganj district, along with his associates, lured around 40-50 poor villagers, including men, women, and children, to adopt Christianity. They promised freedom from ghosts and incurable diseases and insulted Hindu gods and goddesses in the process. Chhedi Prasad, a resident of the village, complained when he witnessed the gathering and protested against the derogatory remarks about Hinduism. He was also threatened by the accused. Based on his complaint, the police registered a case under relevant sections, including sections 352 and 351(3), and arrested Chandrabhan and Phool Singh. The Mohana SHO, Jeevan Tripathi, confirmed the arrests. The accused were charged with attempting to convert the villagers by promising miracles and using derogatory language against Hindu deities.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Predatory Proselytisation. Within this, two sub-categories have been selected, as per the case details. the first is- Attempting to convert/converting by denigrating Hinduism. In several cases, Hindus are converted or an attempt is made to convert Hindus by denigrating their faith, Hinduism. In such cases, the Hindus associate with the non-Hindu perpetrators often by choice and then, the attempt to convert them by insulting their faith, showing the faith down etc begins. An example of this would be a non-Hindu gathering where the Hindus are attending the gathering of their own free will. However, once they attend the gathering, there is an explicit attempt to convert them by abusing their faith and hailing the faith of the perpetrator. The denigration of the Hindu faith is often based on misrepresentation of the Hindu faith, its doctrine and scriptures and insult to espoused traditions if not blatant lies about Hindu beliefs and ways. Such conversions or attempts at conversions are driven by animosity towards the Hindu faith and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. The second sub-category under which this case has been placed 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. This incident in Panni village is a clear example of a religiously motivated crime under the category of predatory proselytization, where Hinduism was targeted and denigrated to facilitate conversion attempts. Phool Singh, acting as Pastor, along with his associates, gathered vulnerable villagers under the guise of offering miraculous solutions to their problems, including promises of cures for ailments and liberation from supernatural afflictions. Such tactics exploit the financial and social vulnerabilities of the villagers, using inducements to sway their religious identity. Additionally, the perpetrators deliberately denigrated Hinduism for the purpose of conversion. By insulting Hindu deities and employing derogatory language, the accused not only sought to undermine the beliefs of the villagers but also aimed to create a sense of distrust in their own faith, thereby facilitating a shift towards Christianity. This tactic of denigrating Hinduism while simultaneously offering inducements for conversion is a clear indication of predatory behaviour, as it relies on psychological manipulation rather than genuine spiritual discourse. The attempt to convert individuals through such means reflects an intrinsic bias against Hinduism and this is why this case has been added to the tracker.
Victim Details
Total Victim
50
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 50
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 50
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 50
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
