Hindu teachers of reputed Gorakhpur missionary college forced to convert to Christianity by the Principal, Uttar Pradesh

Case ID : 30a7f65 | Location : Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Mon, 20 April, 2026

Case ID : 30a7f65

Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

20 April, 2026

Hindu teachers of reputed Gorakhpur missionary college forced to convert to Christianity by the Principal, Uttar Pradesh

Undecided cases

Case Summary

In Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu teachers and staff members at a private educational institution were forced to convert to Christianity. As per the complaint, around 30 teachers of St. Andrew’s College were being pressured to convert their religion by the Principal Prof. S.D. Rajkumar. The complaint stated that teachers and non-teaching staff were facing sustained mental pressure to adopt Christianity. It described an environment within the institution where they were being influenced and compelled to change their faith, raising concerns within the local community and prompting administrative intervention. Following this, the district administration and police authorities initiated an inquiry into the matter. Statements of teachers and staff members were recorded, and the functioning of the institution was examined. The committee claimed that they found no sufficient evidence and dismissed the complaint and the victims' statements. Unhappy with the findings of the committee, the complainants further submitted their complaint to the Governor and sought to approach higher authorities.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

At first glance, the official inquiry appeared to weaken the claim that Hindu teachers and staff were subjected to religious pressure, as the authorities concluded that no coercion or organised effort of conversion was found within the institution. On the surface, this created an impression that the charges levelled by victims lacked substance and that no targeted hostility against Hindus had taken place. However, the matter did not end with the inquiry. The decision of the teachers and staff to escalate the issue and approach the Governor and higher authorities indicated that they continued to assert the presence of pressure that had not been adequately recognised. This step suggested that the grievance was not withdrawn but persisted beyond the initial findings, raising the possibility that relevant aspects may not have been fully captured during the first investigation. Given this dual position, the case could not be conclusively categorised. While the official findings negated the allegation of religious coercion, the continued pursuit by the affected individuals introduced a reasonable basis to keep the question open. The absence of conclusive proof on one hand, and the persistence of the complainants on the other, created a situation where intent and motive remained uncertain. Therefore, the case has been placed in the Undecided category. Should further material or evidence emerge that clearly establishes whether Hindu teachers were targeted based on their religious identity, the classification will be reassessed accordingly.