Case Summary

Kathua Police had filed a case against a group of Christian missionaries trying to convert poor villagers with false promises of eliminating poverty and curing illness. The incident occurred in the Dhani Bakhta village of Kathua district, where the villagers confronted the missionaries trying to manipulate locals to adopt Christianity. Acting on the complaint, SSP Kathua Mohita Sharma ordered strict action. The case had been booked under Sections 299 and 351(2) of the BNS, and the investigation is underway. 8 Policemen present at the scene were also suspended for negligence.

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Why it is Hate Crime ?

The 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. This case has been added to the tracker because Hindus in Dhani Bakhta village were lured and offered inducements for religious conversion by the Christian perpetrators. The perpetrators offered monetary inducements and miraculous health benefits in an effort to coerce people into converting to Christianity. Firstly, offering such inducements or making false promises, especially when directed at vulnerable and economically weaker individuals, is not an act of kindness or charity. It is a calculated effort to exploit their vulnerability because of their religious identity. By providing inducements in exchange for conversion, the accused was effectively blackmailing those who might have been desperate for assistance or hope. Such instances are seen in many cases where members of Christian missionary groups target socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. This form of coercion strips people of their agency and dignity and results in coerced conversions. These types of incidents are not new to the state. In 2011, a pastor named C M Khanna was booked for forcible religious conversion in Kashmir and arrested. According to police, he revealed that during questioning that around 15 local Muslims had been converted to Christianity by him. This kind of predatory behaviour, intended to alienate vulnerable villagers from their ancestral culture and traditions, destabilises social harmony, leading to confrontations and sometimes violence. 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. These are not random or isolated incidents, but 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: 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 conversion attempts began. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported in the media, 25 October 2025.