Christian missionaries attempt to convert Hindus by offering cures for various ailments

Case Summary
Nine Christian evangelists were arrested on charges of promoting Christianity and attempting unlawful religious conversion. The arrests followed a complaint by Vijay Hindustani of the Hindu Jan Kalyan Manch, who reported that certain individuals associated with a Christian missionary were encouraging people to convert by luring them by offering cures for various ailments through exorcism. The accused, identified as Munni Lal, Parshuram Lal, Gokaran Pasi, Ramkali Devi, Manju Pasi, Vidyawati Devi, Radha, Silochani Devi, and Dina Kumari, were found conducting a prayer meeting at Munni Lal's residence in Gautam Purwa village where they also praised Christianity as the best religion. Police seized religious books and other materials during the raid. The accused were arrested and taken to Haidergarh police station for further investigation.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker as a religiously motivated hate crime under the prime category of- 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. In this case, the Christian evangelists were attempting to exploit a specific vulnerability of the victims who were economically backward. The missionaries exploited the poor victims by promising them cures for their ailments - a cure that they either could not afford or for incurable diseases. 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.

Case Status
Arrested

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
both