Hindu families targeted for conversion by foreign Christian nationals in Saharanpur
Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
5 September, 2017
Case Summary
Hindu families in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, were approached and encouraged to convert to Christianity by a group of foreign nationals who conducted late-night meetings in different areas of the city. The group visited non-Christian households and promoted religious conversion activities. These actions took place in residential localities, including areas near a Hindu temple. The activities came to attention after concerns were raised about repeated visits by foreign individuals to local neighbourhoods. The group held meetings at night and interacted with Hindu families. These meetings were held at different locations and involved attempts to influence religious beliefs. On 6th September, 2017, intelligence units tracked the group's movements after receiving information about their activities. Surveillance was conducted over several days to identify their locations and methods of operation. During this period, it was observed that the group was organising gatherings and visiting households. On the same day, a foreign individual was detained during the evening. During questioning, he identified himself as Ranveer Sinha and stated that he was residing in West Delhi. An Aadhaar card was recovered from him. He disclosed that he was associated with a group of around 12 foreign nationals, including individuals from South Korea and Malaysia. Based on this information, investigation teams conducted a raid at a residence near Shanidev Temple in Naveen Nagar, Saharanpur. During the operation, seven foreign nationals were detained from the premises. The group consisted of five women and two men. During questioning, they stated that they were residents of South Korea and were involved in spreading Christianity. The group had entered India on tourist visas. Their activities included holding meetings and visiting Hindu households late at night. These meetings involved discussions of religious beliefs and attempts to persuade individuals to convert. A case was initiated following these developments. The detained individuals were taken into custody for questioning. Authorities began examining the extent of the activities and the involvement of additional individuals linked to the group. The police initiated further investigation into the matter, including verification of documents and visa conditions. Authorities also began preparing for deportation proceedings against the detained foreign nationals. The investigation remained ongoing, and officials continued to gather evidence related to the activities conducted in Saharanpur.
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 - Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. Under this, the tertiary category selected for this case is - 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. This incident qualified as a religiously motivated hate crime because foreign nationals deliberately approached Hindu families and attempted to influence them to convert to Christianity through repeated interactions and organised gatherings. The activities were conducted in a structured and covert manner, including late night meetings. The focus on non Christian households showed clear religious targeting. This established that the Hindu identity of the victims was central to the actions carried out. The perpetrators conducted repeated visits to Hindu households and organised meetings where religious ideas were presented to influence belief systems. This was significant because it involved sustained interaction rather than a one time engagement. The use of late night gatherings created controlled environments where influence could be exerted more effectively. This demonstrated how grooming and subtle indoctrination were used to gradually shape the thinking of Hindu families and encourage them to move away from their existing faith. The perpetrators specifically identified and approached non Christian families across different areas of Saharanpur. This was significant because it showed that the targeting was not random but based on religious identity. The focus remained on Hindu households, which were approached repeatedly through visits and meetings. This demonstrated a clear pattern of targeting Hindus as a group, with efforts concentrated on influencing their beliefs and encouraging conversion through sustained and organised outreach. Given that this case met the parameters of a religiously motivated hate crime, it was added to the hate crime database of the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
