Villagers misled, converted to Christianity under garb of healing meeting

Case ID : 152dec9 | Location : Kaushambi District, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Mon, 20 January, 2025
Case ID : 152dec9
location Kaushambi District, Uttar Pradesh, India
date 20 January, 2025
Villagers misled, converted to Christianity under garb of healing meeting
Predatory Proselytisation
Conversion/ attempts to convert by inducement

Case Summary

Religious conversion was unearthed during a late-night healing meeting in Lakdi village, Hussainganj police station area. Members of Hindu organizations, including Bajrang Dal's block convenor Narendra Hindu, reached the spot after learning about conversions taking place under the guise of healing prayers. After reaching the event, the Hindu organisation members informed the police. Acting on information, police arrived at the scene. Narendra Hindu and his companions stated that people were being misled and converted during the meeting. They intervened, stopped the gathering, and recovered Bibles and several motorcycles from the venue. The bikes had registration plates from the Kaushambi district. Police took several individuals into custody for interrogation and began investigating the incident.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Predatory proselytisation. Under this, the 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. The incident involving poor villagers being lured to convert to Christianity under the guise of a "healing meeting" is a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime categorised as predatory proselytisation. Such acts exploit the vulnerabilities of marginalised individuals, often targeting their economic hardships, lack of access to healthcare, or emotional distress. By presenting promises of miraculous healing or material benefits, these orchestrated events manipulate the poor and vulnerable into abandoning their faith, effectively stripping them of their religious identity. This inducement-driven conversion stems from an intrinsic animosity toward the victims' original faith, using their vulnerabilities as leverage to achieve religious and ideological dominance. 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.

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Case Status


Complaint filed

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Perpetrators Details

Perpetrators


Christian Extremists

Perpetrators Range


Unknown

Perpetrators Gender


unknown

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