Hindus targeted for conversion to Christianity through inducements in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh; three accused arrested
Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, India 
6 September, 2026
Case Summary
In Kaisarganj, Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, Hindus were targeted for religious conversion to Christianity through inducements by some crypto-Christians. The matter came to light after Hanumant Lal Pathak, Block Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), submitted a complaint to the police alleging that residents were being encouraged to leave Sanatana Dharma and adopt Christianity through various inducements. According to the complaint, Shivkumar and Poonam, residents of Pawahi village, along with Rakesh Kumar, Sunderlal and Prahlad, residents of Mahuri Kalan, had converted to Christianity. It was further stated that some of these individuals were subsequently attempting to influence local Hindus to convert by offering different forms of inducement. The VHP functionary said these activities were causing concern in the area and could lead to tension among residents. He therefore sought strict legal action against those involved in the conversion activity. Acting on the complaint, Kaisarganj Police registered an FIR and arrested Sunderlal, Prahlad and Shivkumar Verma in connection with the case. Station House Officer Rajkumar Pandey confirmed their arrests. The court subsequently produced the three accused, remanded them to judicial custody, and sent them to jail. The police action was taken in relation to the issue that Hindus were being induced to convert to Christianity through material or other allurements.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category selected for this case is: Predatory proselytisation. The subcategory selected for this case is: Conversion/attempts to convert by inducement. Predatory Proselytisation is not limited to threats, 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 to change 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. This case was included in the Hinduphobia Tracker because Hindus in Kaisarganj, Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, were targeted for religious conversion to Christianity through inducements. The religious identity of those being targeted was central to the conduct, as the objective was to influence followers of Sanatana Dharma to abandon their existing faith and adopt Christianity. The conduct involved the use of various allurements and inducements to influence religious choices. Such methods seek to make conversion attractive through external benefits rather than through an entirely voluntary change of belief. Where material or other inducements are used to persuade Hindus to leave their faith, the process becomes exploitative because the individual’s vulnerability or needs are used as leverage in an attempt to alter his or her religious identity. The incident therefore went beyond ordinary religious preaching or the voluntary sharing of beliefs. The concern raised in the complaint was that individuals who had themselves converted to Christianity were subsequently offering inducements to local Hindus to bring them into the Christian fold. This reflected a targeted effort to weaken the religious attachment of Hindus by making conversion conditional upon, or attractive through, external benefits. The case is also significant because the activity was described as being carried out by people who had themselves converted to Christianity. This indicated a continuing chain of proselytisation in which converted individuals were attempting to influence other Hindus to abandon Sanatana Dharma and adopt Christianity. Taken together, the targeting of Hindus, the use of inducements, and the objective of detaching them from their existing faith demonstrated a deliberate conversion effort directed specifically at the Hindu community. The conduct reflected disregard for Hindu religious identity and autonomy and sought to secure religious change through allurements rather than genuine conviction. This made the incident a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus and warranted its inclusion in the Hinduphobia Tracker under Predatory Proselytisation – Conversion/attempts to convert by inducements. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records an incident based on the date on which the victim suffered the ordeal. In this case, the available material did not specify the exact date on which the conversion-related activities took place. Therefore, 7th September 2026, the date on which the incident was reported by Amar Ujala, has been recorded as the indicative incident date for documentation purposes only.
Case Status
Perpetrator held guilty by court
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
