Case Summary

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, a Christian conversion racket was uncovered in which over 50 Dalit Hindus, including men, women, and children, were forcibly converted to Christianity by a Christian man named Matthew alias Malkhan. The accused lured Hindu victims with material inducements and convinced them that he could cure diseases. In addition, the Hindu victims were subjected to denigration of Hindu deities and brainwashing with the Bible. Hinduphobia Tracker managed to access the FIR filed in this case. The FIR also stated that the accused Malkhan alias Matthew had also previously carried out the conversion of a large group of Hindus to Christianity. According to media reports, the accused, under the false pretext of 'healing meetings', targeted less educated people from the Dalit Hindu community. He gave false assurances of curing arthritis, epilepsy, respiratory and other serious illnesses, and brought them to prayer gatherings. He taught the Bible, sprinkled holy water, and showed videos on a projector. He brainwashed people, incited them against Hindu deities, and, with financial incentives, converted them to Christianity. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Nipun Agarwal, the accused resided in Baktaurikhaira, Mehandouli in Nigohan. Information about conversions in the area had been circulating for some time. Under the direction of ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) Mohanlalganj Rajneesh Verma, a special team was formed. Station Officer Anuj, along with surveillance and other teams, was assigned to the case. After collecting evidence, the police arrested the accused on 27th September 2025 on Hulas Khaira road. Interrogation revealed that around ten years ago, he converted to Christianity and adopted the name Matthew. He also changed the names of his brothers, nephews, and children. Following this, he built a room on his own land and began conducting healing meetings twice a month. He invited women, children, and men to these meetings, promising to cure illnesses and offering financial assistance. He converted people by administering baptism (Christian initiation). A case was registered against the accused, and he was sent to jail. Two Bibles and promotional materials were recovered from his residence. The Deputy Commissioner of Police announced a reward of 25,000 rupees for the police team involved in the arrest. Hindu organisations had earlier protested the incident. At the time of writing this report, the ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) Rajneesh Verma stated that police investigations were ongoing to determine the source of his funding. The bank accounts of the accused and his family members were also under scrutiny.

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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. The tertiary categories selected are- 'Conversion of Minor' and '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. The other subcategory selected 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. In this case, Hindus, including children, were lured with monetary and medical incentives and were manipulated to convert to Christianity by a Christian evangelist. Even Christian religious literature and texts were used to brainwash the Hindu victims into conversion. Even Hindu gods were denigrated by the accused. The nature of the conversion efforts and the wider impact on the Hindu community all indicate a targeted action against Hindus as a collectivity. When individuals or groups focus their efforts on converting members of a particular religion, in this case, Hindus, then it demonstrates a fundamental disregard for the Hindu faith. Conversion, especially when not based on personal conviction but rather on external persuasion or pressure, is not simply about sharing a different belief system. It is an attempt to undermine the values, traditions, and identity of the Hindu community. In this context, the Christian perpetrator specifically targeted Hindus, which suggests a lack of respect for Hinduism and its followers. Such actions are carried out to strip Hindu victims of their faith, making it a religiously motivated crime. The use of financial incentives to encourage Christian conversion clearly demonstrates that these actions were not motivated by kindness or charity. Instead, they were calculated attempts to exploit vulnerable Hindus specifically because of their religion. By providing inducements to Hindus to change their faith, the Christian perpetrator was effectively emotionally blackmailing those vulnerable Hindus who might have been desperate for assistance. 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 Hindus of their agency and dignity and enforces forced conversions. These are not random or isolated incidents, but rather are premeditated efforts to undermine the Hindu faith, persuade Hindus to discard their own faith, and convert to Christianity. Such acts are deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims and their faith, making it a religiously motivated crime. The accused's use of the pretext of curing diseases by organising "healing meetings" intensifies the hateful nature of the crime. Exploiting the health vulnerabilities of Hindu victims by falsely promising cures if they converted to Christianity shows a calculated attempt to prey on their physical and emotional suffering. This strategy combines deception, coercion, and religious disdain, converting a health crisis into a tool for forced religious conversion. Such exploitation highlights the deep-seated religious animosity driving the crime, as it manipulates the desperation of Hindu victims, constituting a religiously motivated hate crime. The Christian perpetrator was also actively attempting to indoctrinate the Hindu victims by using Christian religious texts like the Bible. Using the scriptures or literature of one faith to deliberately target and manipulate members of another, with the clear intention of religious conversion, represents a direct attack on the Hindu faith. Such actions are designed to violate and undermine the beliefs of Hindu victims and are clear indicators of religious hostility towards Hindus and their religious identity. Such actions further demonstrate that this was not an isolated incident of evangelism, but rather part of a broader, organised operation to further religious conversions. When Christian religious material is used to exploit trust, sow doubt, and misrepresent the beliefs of Hindus to coerce conversion, particularly in a systematic manner, it constitutes a religiously motivated offence. Beyond inducements and brainwashing, there was a concerted attempt by the Christian accused to demean Hindu deities. By portraying Hindu traditions and deities as inferior, the perpetrator sought to create shame and doubt in the minds of the Hindu victims, breaking their spiritual ties to the Hindu faith. Hindu deities are highly revered by every practising Hindu. Any attempt to mock or denigrate them for the purpose of conversion demonstrates deep-seated religious animosity towards the Hindu faith. This makes it a religiously motivated crime. It's also important to note that the victims also included Hindu children. This means the element of consent and genuine change of conscience was missing ab initio. Minors, due to their young age and lack of maturity, are particularly vulnerable to manipulation and coercion. They may not have the ability to fully understand the implications of converting to another religion, and the Christian perpetrator purposely targeted and exploited this vulnerability of the minor victims. Since this case exemplifies the use of coercion and manipulation to achieve religious conversion, it is a blatant act of a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus. Reports also indicated that the accused had targeted not one but several Hindus for conversions. This persistent pattern of targeting Hindus, luring them with incentives and subjecting them to psychological manipulation served as a stark example of a religiously motivated crime. Such actions are aimed at undermining the religious and cultural identity of Hindus through coercion, manipulation, and unlawful means. Such incidents highlighted that the conversions were neither isolated nor accidental but formed part of a calculated and targeted strategy to convert Hindus to Christianity. By focusing specifically on Hindus, the Christian evangelist was profiling vulnerable individuals and working systematically to erase their Hindu identity. The repeated nature of these actions revealed a deliberate intent to disrupt the cultural fabric and faith of the Hindu community, leaving the victims exposed to ongoing pressure and exploitation. These instances of targeted proselytisation activities stem from inherent hostility towards the victims' professed faith since Abrahamic faiths believe that any non-adherent to their faith is subject to being dehumanised till they convert, making it a religiously motivated crime against Hindus. Since this case meets multiple parameters of a religiously motivated attack against Hindus and their faith, it is being added to the hate crime database. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker generally records the date of an incident based on when the victims' ordeal began, rather than when it is reported in the media. In this case, the media reported the matter on 29th September 2025. Since the media report does not mention when the accused began converting Hindus. It only mentions the date when the accused was arrested by the police, which is 27th September 2025. Therefore, for the purpose of documentation, this date, 27th September 2025, is used as the indicative date of the incident.