Hindus targeted for forced Christian conversion under guise of curing illness; urged to abandon Hindu deities
Alwar, Rajasthan, India 
3 June, 2026
Case Summary
In the Tanwar colony of Alwar district, Rajasthan, Hindu residents were lured to a prayer meeting, brainwashed with religious literature and told to stay away from Hindu deities for religious conversion by a Christian pastor named Rajkumar. According to reports, a prayer meeting centred on Jesus Christ was taking place inside the house on 4 June 2026, when Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers arrived after receiving information that illegal conversion activities were being carried out there. The arrival of the VHP workers led to a confrontation, during which the pastor conducting the gathering was brought outside the house by the activists. A crowd subsequently manhandled him and tore his clothes before being arrested by the police. The pastor identified himself as Rajkumar, a resident of Delhi. During questioning at the scene, he stated that he had been travelling to Alwar for several years to conduct Christian prayer meetings and religious teachings. He admitted to having converted approximately 15 people through his activities in the area. VHP activists stated that religious literature, prayer books and digital material related to Christian religious activities were also recovered from the premises. A search of the pastor's mobile phone revealed videos and other content connected to the prayer meetings. Individuals who had attended the gathering stated that readings from the Gospel of Jesus Christ were being conducted and that participants were told that prayers could cure illnesses. One attendee stated that those present were encouraged to distance themselves from Hindu deities and were told, "Stay away from Hindu deities", while placing faith in Christian religious practices. According to local accounts, around 15 people fled from the premises after VHP workers arrived and the commotion began. Police from Akhepura Police Station reached the location after receiving information about the disturbance and took the pastor into custody for questioning. The landlord of the property was also brought to the police station as part of the inquiry. As police attempted to transport the pastor in a vehicle, some activists protested and demanded that he be taken to the police station on foot. The situation was eventually brought under control following police intervention. Station House Officer Mahesh Tiwari stated that the individual involved had been detained and that a detailed investigation was underway to ascertain the facts surrounding the conversion allegations and activities conducted at the premises.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of - Predatory Proselytisation. Within it, the sub-category selected is - Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination, with the tertiary category being - 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 sub-category selected here 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 sub-category 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. This case has been added to the tracker because Hindu residents in the Tanwar colony were lured to a prayer meeting, brainwashed with religious literature and told to stay away from Hindu deities for religious conversion by a Christian pastor named Rajkumar. Firstly, the victims were lured under the guise of a prayer meeting aimed at converting them to Christianity. What was presented as a simple prayer gathering inside a house was in reality a covert attempt at religious conversion. These were not genuine community prayers but calculated efforts to exploit the trust of Hindus and manipulate them into abandoning their faith. The accused deliberately held the meeting in secrecy and without permission from the administration, indicating a deliberate and deceptive strategy designed to avoid public attention and scrutiny. The fact that the pastor admitted to having converted multiple individuals in the area over several years demonstrates that the event formed part of a continuing effort rather than an isolated religious gathering. Secondly, attendees stated that they were told that prayers conducted at the gathering could cure illnesses and solve personal problems. This is called the Changai Sabha format, often described publicly as a faith healing gathering, is a well-recognised toolin organised Christian proselytisation networks. These meetings usually employ songs, testimonies and emotionally charged prayer sessions to influence and induce vulnerable individuals without openly declaring the underlying objective. People attend believing they are seeking comfort, healing or spiritual support, only to be gradually drawn into teachings that undermine their own religious identity and introduce them to the Christian framework presented as the only path to relief. Furthermore, offering incentives or making false healing promises, shows that these incentives are not acts of kindness or charity. Instead, they are calculated moves to exploit vulnerable Hindus because of religion. By providing inducements or promising healing in exchange for conversion, the accused was effectively blackmailing those who might have been desperate for assistance or hope. This form of coercion strips people of their agency and dignity and results in coerced conversions. Thirdly, participants stated that they were encouraged to stay away from Hindu deities and place their faith in Christian religious practices. This goes beyond religious debate or proselytisation; it constitutes an act of incitement and insult directed at the core beliefs of the Hindu community. Such remarks are designed to demean and undermine the faith of Hindus and intend to create an inferiority complex in the minds of the victims against their own faith. This fosters an environment of hostility and disrespect towards the Hindu community and Hindu deities. These acts of insulting Hinduism stem from Christian theology, which harbours disdain and hatred for polytheistic faiths, and which categorises Hindus as ‘polytheists’, thereby fostering hatred against them. Fourth, VHP activists stated that religious literature, prayer books and digital material related to Christian religious activities were also recovered from the premises. Thus, the accused was also actively attempting to indoctrinate the Hindu victims by using Christian religious texts and literature. 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. Fifth, a search of the pastor's mobile phone revealed videos and other content connected to the prayer meetings and he further admitted to having converted approximately 15 people through his activities in the area. 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. The Christian faith, by its very theological foundations, places a strong emphasis on proselytisation. In pursuit of conversion objectives, Christian evangelists often employ unethical means, ranging from psychological pressure and misinformation to inducements such as money or jobs. In such cases, Christian missionary groups often target and brainwash socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. This systematic attempt to erode the religious foundation of individuals and replace it with allegiance to another faith reflects deep religious malice and animus against the Hindu identity. Because the core motivation of the act stems from hostility toward the victim’s religion, it meets the threshold of a hate crime. Hence, categorised as a hate crime in the database.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
