Hindu villagers lured to convert to Christianity under guise of 'healing meeting' in Bihar
Nawada, Bihar, India 
27 September, 2025
Case Summary
In Budhaul village of Nawada district, Bihar, Hindu villagers were targeted for Christian conversion under the guise of a 'healing meeting' by Christian evangelists. According to media reports, Hindus from far away had gathered to attend a meeting, which was organised by the Christian perpetrators. When Hindu organisations received information about such conversion activities, they, along with the police, arrived at the site. Hindu organisations stated that the healing meeting was being used to lure Hindus into converting to Christianity. Subsequently, the police arrested two Christian individuals who were organisers of the event and questioned them. The police also shut down the meeting to prevent any further unrest in the area. Reports confirmed that large-scale conversion activities were taking place in the Nawada district, with police shutting down multiple such events. However, some attendees claimed that they had come to seek peace, relief from suffering, and to learn about the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ, rather than to undergo conversion.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Predatory Proselytisation. Within this, the subcategory 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. The other subcategory selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination, with tertiary category being - Pattern of targeting Hindus. Religious brainwashing essentially means the often subtle and forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up their religious beliefs to accept contrasting regimented ideas. Religious grooming or brainwashing also involves propaganda and manipulation. It involves the systematic effort, driven by religious malice and indoctrination, to persuade “non-believers’ to accept allegiance, command, or doctrine to and of a contrasting faith. Cases of such grooming or brainwashing are far more nuanced than direct threats, coercion, inducement and violence. In such cases, it is often seen that there is repeated, subtle and continual manipulation of the victim to induce disaffection towards their own faith and acceptance of the contrasting faith of the perpetrator. While subtle indoctrination is widely acknowledged as predatory, an element which is often understated in such conversions or the attempts of such conversion is the role of loyalty and trust which might develop between the perpetrator and the victim. Fiduciary relationships are often abused to affect such religious conversion. For example, an educator transmitting religious doctrine of a competing faith to a Hindu student. The Hindu student is likely to accept what the teacher is transmitting owing to existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinate victims would also be included in this category. Since the underlying animosity towards the victim’s faith forms the basis of predatory proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. This case has been added to the tracker because Hindu residents in Budhaul village were targeted for conversion by Christian missionaries under the guise of a 'healing' meeting. Offering incentives or making false healing promises, especially when directed at vulnerable individuals in need, shows that these incentives are not acts of kindness or charity. Instead, they are calculated moves to exploit vulnerable Hindus because of their religion. By providing inducements or promising healing in exchange for conversion, the accused were effectively blackmailing those who might have been desperate for assistance or hope. Such instances are seen in many cases where members of Christian missionary groups target socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. This form of coercion strips people of their agency and dignity and results in coerced conversions. These are not random or isolated incidents, but rather cases deeply rooted in religious animosity towards the Hindu victims and their faith, making it a religiously motivated crime. The Christian faith, by its theological foundations, places a strong emphasis on proselytisation. In pursuit of conversion objectives, Christian evangelists often employ unethical means, ranging from psychological pressure and misinformation to inducements or offering healing. These tactics are designed not as acts of charity but as tools to engineer religious change under the guise of relief and spiritual guidance, particularly among vulnerable communities. Such acts are deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims, and thus, this case is added to the tracker. It is important to note that some attendees claimed they participated of their own free will. However, this does not change the fact that conversion-oriented activities were taking place. Hindus were deliberately targeted with promises of healing and manipulative practices. Since the accused were conducting meetings claiming to relieve suffering, attendees were effectively influenced and brainwashed over time toward conversion. In many cases, the line between voluntary participation and manipulative conversion is so blurred that attendees themselves may not fully understand that they were being directed toward religious change. This deliberate targeting of Hindus for conversion constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime. Given that this case meets the parameters of a religiously motivated crime, it is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records the date of each incident based on when the crime occurred, rather than when it is reported in the media. However, in this case, the media report did not specify the exact date of the crime. Therefore, for the purpose of documentation, the date of publication of the media report, 28th September 2025, is being used as the indicative date of the incident.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
