Chhattisgarh's EHP dispensary operates conversion racket, holds prayer meetings under the garb of medical services
Balod, Chhattisgarh, India 
10 July, 2024
Case Summary
Hindu organisations in Balod, Chhattisgarh, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), accused a clinic, EHP dispensary, of operating a religious conversion racket under the guise of providing medical services. The dispensary, run by a married couple, Manoj and Yamini Sahu, has been accused of holding unlawful prayer meetings aimed at persuading people to convert. Local BJP leaders requested the Dondilohara SDM to file criminal charges against the clinic. Following these accusations, SDM Shivnath Baghel sought an investigation from the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Mahesh Suryavanshi. The case is currently under police investigation.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category under which this case has been placed is- Predatory Proselytisation. Under this category, the sub-category chosen 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 the victims who were in all likelihood also economically backward. The missionaries exploited the poor victims by 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.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
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