Five arrested for performing religious conversion in Balrampur, Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh, India 
29 January, 2024
Case Summary
In Balrampur district, Chhattisgarh, a case of religious conversion surfaced, leading to the arrest of five individuals based on a complaint from Hindu organizations. The police confirmed their arrest after preliminary questioning, and they were subsequently presented before the court. The incident unfolded when Hindu Mahasabha workers informed Balrampur police about ongoing conversions in a house by individuals from a Christian supremacist group. Acting swiftly, the police verified the situation at a house in ward number three and detained five individuals present there. Narendra Tripathi, the Police Station in charge of Balrampur, stated that the police received a written complaint about the conversions the previous night, leading to swift action. The case was registered under the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act 1968, and the five detainees were formally arrested and brought before the court.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
There is a strong suspicion in this case that the conversion activity by the Christian missionaries was illegal and amounted to a hate crime. There are suspicions, based on the fact that the police arrested the pastors, that the conversion was either a result of coercion, inducement or threat. However, from the publicly available information, it is unclear that the inducement or threat was. It is entirely possible in this case that the conversion was voluntary and therefore, it is being recorded as 'undecided'. If more information emerges, it would be added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
