2000 Hindus targeted for forced Christian conversion under guise of prayer gathering in Bhayandar, Maharashtra

Case ID : 30a9cc9 | Location : Bhayandar, Maharashtra, India | Date of Incident : Sat, 8 August, 2026

Case ID : 30a9cc9

Bhayandar, Maharashtra, India

8 August, 2026

2000 Hindus targeted for forced Christian conversion under guise of prayer gathering in Bhayandar, Maharashtra

Predatory Proselytisation

Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination

Case Summary

In Bhayandar West, Maharashtra, Hindu residents were targeted for religious conversion under the guise of a prayer gathering organised by a Christian organisation, Ashish Prarthana Ghar. According to reports, the prayer gathering had an attendance of around 1,500 to 2,000 Hindu residents. The gathering came under scrutiny after information was received that religious conversion activities were taking place at the venue. Following this information, the matter was brought to the attention of the police, who conducted an inquiry into the gathering. Subsequently, members of a Hindu organisation reached the venue and questioned the organisers regarding the nature of the gathering and whether the required rules and procedures had been followed. A confrontation followed, resulting in tension at the location. The matter subsequently reached Bhayandar West Police Station, where members of the Hindu organisation gathered and sought clarification from the authorities regarding the event. As of the date of writing this report, the investigation was ongoing. The police stated that further comments would be made after investigation.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

The primary category selected in this case is: Predatory Proselytisation. Within it, the sub-category selected here is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. 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 case has been added to the tracker because the prayer gathering organised by Ashish Prarthana Ghar, a Christian prayer organisation, with the aim of targeting Hindus for religious conversion. What was presented as a simple prayer gathering 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 organisers deliberately held the meeting without permission from the administration, indicating a deliberate and deceptive strategy designed to avoid public attention and scrutiny. By conducting such gatherings, the Christian missionaries sought to manipulate vulnerable Hindus, taking advantage of their emotional and social circumstances to push them towards conversion. Religious prayer gatherings function as an entry point for proselytisation by creating an environment in which participants are introduced to Christian beliefs, teachings and practices. Such gatherings may involve collective prayers, worship, preaching, testimonies of personal transformation, references to divine intervention or healing, and messages portraying Christianity as a source of salvation, protection or solutions to personal difficulties. When such religious activities are directed towards members of another faith with the objective of persuading them to adopt Christianity, the prayer setting becomes a means of initiating and cultivating the conversion process rather than serving solely as an act of worship for existing adherents. Furthermore, the scale of the gathering was also significant, with over 1,500–2,000 Hindus being targeted. A gathering of this size provided a substantial platform for collective religious messaging and outreach and therefore attracted heightened attention from members of the local Hindu community. 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 was an attempt to undermine the values, traditions, and identity of the Hindu community. In this context, the Christian perpetrators specifically targeted Hindus, which demonstrates 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 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 form of coercion strips Hindus of their agency and dignity and enforces forced conversions. These are not random or isolated incidents, but rather premeditated efforts to undermine the Hindu faith, persuade Hindus to discard their own faith, and convert to Christianity. Such acts were deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims, and thus, this case was added to the tracker. Disclaimer: Media reports state that around 2000 people attended the prayer gathering in Bhayandar, Maharashtra. For documentation clarity, the Hinduphobia Tracker has applied a proportional demographic estimate based on India’s Census 2011 and NFHS-5 (2019–21) rural population patterns. Accordingly, the 2000 participants are estimated as 1000 men (50%) and 1000 women (50%), reflecting an equal gender distribution consistent with typical urban family demographics. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when an event occurred or when the victim's ordeal began. It is important to clarify that none of the media sources covering this case has specified the exact date when the prayer gathering took place. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported in the media, 9 August 2026.