Christian pastor and wife denigrate Hinduism, offer money and free treatment for conversion to Christianity
Bharatpura, Uttar Pradesh, India 
4 July, 2024
Case Summary
On July 5, Bharatpur Police uncovered a religious conversion event organised by Ravindra Kumar and his wife Ruby, who were running a center under the name of the Church Foundation. The event, held at their home in Bharatpur, claimed that prayers could cure serious ailments, including cancer. Police detained 28 people, including 20 women, after receiving a complaint. The event lured around 100 attendees, promising them money in exchange for converting to Christianity. The police found that Ravindra, his wife Ruby, and an associate named Phool Singh were actively promoting Christianity by encouraging attendees to abandon Hinduism and idol worship while making derogatory remarks about Hindu deities. They offered incentives like a Rs 10,000 bonus and free treatment to those who regularly attended their meetings. Ruby had received training in religious conversion from Chandigarh and used WhatsApp groups to connect with potential converts. Niranjan Singh, a local resident, filed a complaint leading to the registration of a case under sections 299 and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). Ravindra was arrested but later released on bail, while notices were issued to Ruby and Phool Singh. The others detained at the event were also granted bail. The FIR detailed that the accused were telling attendees that Hindu gods were false and promoting Jesus as the true deity. They distributed religious materials and created an atmosphere of hostility toward Hinduism. When members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) confronted them, Ravindra threatened them with divine retribution from Jesus. VHP District President Lakhan Singh explained that Ravindra and Ruby had been running this conversion centre for years, having been driven out of their original village by locals for similar activities. Despite being expelled, they continued their work from Bharatpur. The authorities have ordered the closure of Ravindra’s religious centre.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This particular case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under Predatory Proselytisation because of the various distinct components that demonstrate the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith and the deliberate attempt to alienate the victims from their Hindu identity. Further, two sub-categories have been selected under this prime category. The first sub-category under which this case has been placed 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 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 particular case, the Christian evangelists were overtly trying to convert Hindus by abusing and disparaging Hinduism while glorifying their own faith, Christianity. In an effort to indoctrinate Hindus against their religion—which itself is a product of hostility towards the Hindu faith—they were making derogatory remarks about Hindu deities. The Christian pastor and his wife were extolling their faith by promoting Jesus as the true deity and disparaging Hinduism. Further, the Christian evangelists were attempting to exploit a specific vulnerability of the victims who were in all likelihood also economically backward. The missionaries exploited the poor victims by offering them money and promising them cures for their ailments - a cure that they 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
100
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 100
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 100
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 100
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
