Christian missionaries lures Hindus to convert to Christianity by offering money during "prayer meetings"
Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
6 October, 2024
Case Summary
On October 7, 2024, the police in Azamgarh district arrested three individuals — Rajesh Kumar, his wife Indubala, and another man named Amarnath Rajbhar, for their involvement in religious conversion activities. The arrests occurred following complaints about unlawful conversion practices to Christianity. Jittu Sonkar, a resident of Sarai Mandaraj under City Kotwali police station, attended a religious gathering near Rajesh Kumar's residence, where people were being enticed to convert to Christianity under the guise of a prayer meeting aimed at removing evil spirits. Sonkar observed that attendees were offered money to convert, and when he objected, he was also offered money to stay silent. Following this, police were informed and arrived at the scene to investigate. Under Maharajganj police station area in a separate incident, Amarnath Rajbhar was previously arrested for participating in illegal conversion activities. According to Azamgarh SP Hemraj Meena, both Rajesh Kumar and Indubala were arrested in the Kandharapur police station area, while Amarnath Rajbhar was detained in the Maharajganj area. They were charged under the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Predatory Proselytisation. Under this, the sub-category selected 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. Here, the Christian evangelists were attempting to exploit a specific vulnerability of the victims who, in all likelihood, belonged to economically weak backgrounds. The missionaries exploited the poor victims under the guise of a prayer meeting aimed at removing evil spirits and offering them money. Since exploiting vulnerabilities for the explicit purpose of conversion is purely based on animosity towards the victim's faith, this case has been categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime. Further, the details of the case reveal that the accused were repeat offenders. The repeated actions of Rajesh Kumar, Indubala, and Amarnath Rajbhar in engaging in coercive conversion practices reveal a clear animosity toward the victims' faith. By repeatedly attempting to convert individuals under false pretences—offering financial incentives and exploiting fears of evil spirits—the perpetrators demonstrate a lack of respect for the victim’s religious identity, indicating a deep-seated prejudice against their faith.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
