Hindu villagers targeted and indoctrinated with religious texts for forced conversion by Christian missionaries
Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
15 August, 2026
Case Summary
In the Narhan Khas village under the Jeyapur police station area of Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu villagers were targeted for forced religious conversion by Christian missionaries. On 16 August 2026, police detained 10 people, including seven women and three men, after receiving information that a gathering was being held where people were being influenced to convert to Christianity. Among those detained was Sonu Kumar, a resident of Mohammadabad Gohna in Mau district, who had arrived in the area with several women. According to the police, the accused organised a gathering that involved reading the Bible and attempts to influence those present towards Christianity. They also stated that Hindus were being approached in the name of exorcism, rituals and purported healing. Local residents informed Bajrang Dal workers after becoming aware of the gathering, following which Hindu activists reached the location and informed the police. A commotion broke out between the activists and people present at the site before the police intervened. Circle Officer Sagdi Deshraj Singh said that 10 people had been detained and were being questioned to establish the facts of the incident. Police stated that further legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category in this case is: Predatory Proselytisation. The selected subcategory selected 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. The incident involved a targeted religious conversion effort in which Hindus were lured to a gathering where Christian religious teachings were imparted with the objective of influencing them towards Christianity. The focus on Hindus by changing their existing religious beliefs made their faith an integral part of the incident. The conduct therefore went beyond the ordinary expression or practice of Christianity and involved an organised attempt to persuade members of another religious community to abandon their existing faith. The use of a prayer meeting as the setting for the conversion activity was also significant. A prayer meeting ordinarily functions as a space for members of a particular faith to worship or engage in religious reflection. In this case, however, the gathering was to have involved people being exposed to Christian teachings and Bible reading as part of efforts to influence them towards Christianity. The gathering involved exorcism, rituals and purported spiritual remedies. This indicated that religious practices and beliefs were being used as the means through which individuals were approached and influenced. The setting therefore served not merely as a place for Christian worship, but as a platform through which members of another religious community were subjected to organised proselytisation. The Bible and Christian teachings were central to the activity. Thus, the Christian perpetrators used the Bible and Christian religious teachings as instruments of indoctrination. The use of the religious scriptures of one faith to systematically influence members of another faith and induce them to abandon their existing religion was a direct attack on the religious beliefs and identity of the Hindu victims. This was particularly significant because the Bible was not simply present at the meetings as a religious text; it was actively used in the process through which Hindu attendees were subjected to Christian teachings and targeted for conversion. The organised use of Christian religious literature, combined with the deliberate selection of Hindu attendees, demonstrated that the incident was part of a structured proselytisation effort rather than an isolated act of evangelism. The conduct sought to weaken the victims’ adherence to Hinduism and replace their existing religious identity with Christianity, thereby making the Hindu faith of the victims a central factor in the offence. The use of exorcism, rituals and promises or representations concerning spiritual relief further demonstrated the manner in which the conversion effort was conducted. Such methods were significant because it exploited Hindus seeking relief from spiritual or personal difficulties and used those circumstances as an entry point for religious conversion. When religious or spiritual practices are employed specifically to induce members of another faith to abandon their existing religion, the conduct becomes a form of predatory proselytisation in which the vulnerabilities or beliefs of the targeted individuals are utilised to facilitate conversion. 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.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
