Hindus coerced into conversion to Christianity, made to destroy idols, fed meat, taken to Church during Hindu festivals
Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India 
4 February, 2025
Case Summary
A case of forced religious conversion surfaced in Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh. Pastor Santosh Moses and his wife, Anu Moses, were accused of targeting the poor, unemployed, and vulnerable women in Sambalpuri village to convert them to Christianity. According to Uttara Kumar Sahu, a resident of Sambalpuri, the couple had already converted his family and in-laws and was now pressuring him. They reportedly lured people by offering prayers, holding house meetings, and promising aid. Women were particularly targeted when their husbands were away. During religious gatherings (Changai Sabha), they were influenced against idol worship, told that taking prasad is akin to accepting Satan, and were made to destroy religious idols and tiles with Hindu deities' images. Those who hesitated were warned of divine punishment. Sahu also said that after converting wives and children, pastors used them to pressure husbands into conversion, even offering false promises such as helping them quit alcohol. Individuals undergoing conversion were fed chicken and mutton during their stay at the church or gatherings. This practice was used to further integrate them into the Christian faith and distance them from their previous religious practices. Additionally, converted individuals were kept away from their homes for 3-4 days during religious events to prevent them from celebrating Hindu festivals like Diwali. Sahu filed a complaint at Sakari police station. A Dharma Jagran official revealed that 12 cases of conversion were reported in January alone, with missionaries using picnics and free meals to recruit people.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category of- Predatory proselytization. Under this, the first 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. The second sub-category selected is- Harassment, threats, coercion for conversion. Harassment covers a wide range of behaviours of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour that demeans, humiliates, and intimidates a person, including threats and coercion. Harassment and threats, in this case, find their root on discriminatory grounds which has the effect of nullifying a person’s rights or infringing upon his freedom to exercise his right specifically owing to the victim’s religious identity. Verbal and physical threats and psychological or physical harassment are often used against Hindu victims because they choose to practice their professed religion. Religious harassment also includes forced and involuntary conversions by harassment, threats or coercion. Coercion includes intimidatory tactics like force-feeding a Hindu victim beef to convert to another religion, forceful circumcision etc. In several cases documented, non-Hindu perpetrators or those who harbour specific animosity towards Hinduism, harass victims simply based on their religious identity. Such cases often also include harassment to ensure the Hindu victim abandons his/her professed religion and adopts the religion of the perpetrator. In this subcategory, we would only include cases where the victim was harassed, threatened or coerced to convert. Cases where attempts were made to convert but the victim resisted would be documented in another sub-category. Such cases where Hindu victims are harassed to convert to the perpetrator’s religion are rooted in animosity towards the victim’s religious identity and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. The third sub-category relevant here is- Attempting to convert/converting by denigrating Hinduism. In several cases, Hindus are converted or an attempt is made to convert Hindus by denigrating their faith, Hinduism. In such cases, the Hindus associate with the non-Hindu perpetrators often by choice and then, the attempt to convert them by insulting their faith, showing the faith down etc begins. An example of this would be a non-Hindu gathering where the Hindus are attending the gathering of their own free will. However, once they attend the gathering, there is an explicit attempt to convert them by abusing their faith and hailing the faith of the perpetrator. The denigration of the Hindu faith is often based on misrepresentation of the Hindu faith, its doctrine and scriptures and insult to espoused traditions if not blatant lies about Hindu beliefs and ways. Such conversions or attempts at conversions are driven by animosity towards the Hindu faith and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. This case from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, exemplifies Predatory Proselytisation, where individuals are coerced, manipulated, and lured with inducements to abandon their Hindu faith. The targeting of vulnerable individuals, particularly the poor, unemployed, and women in the absence of their husbands, indicates a calculated strategy to exploit their hardships. The involvement of Pastor Santosh Moses and his wife, Anu Moses, in systematically influencing and converting individuals through prayers, house meetings, and false promises of aid highlights the deliberate nature of this operation. The harassment, pressure, and psychological intimidation faced by those reluctant to convert further reveal the coercive nature of this case. Victims were subjected to warnings of divine punishment, isolated from their families, and socially pressured into submission. However, the most striking aspect is the systematic denigration of Hinduism—where converted individuals were forced to destroy Hindu idols, reject prasad by equating it to Satan, and abandon Hindu religious customs and festivals. This practice of vilifying Hindu traditions and conditioning individuals to sever ties with their faith is a clear marker of religious animosity. Additionally, the imposition of non-vegetarian food on converts to detach them from their previous cultural and religious practices demonstrates an intentional effort to erase Hindu identity. Keeping newly converted individuals away from their homes during major Hindu festivals like Diwali further emphasizes the goal of complete religious alienation. The orchestrated nature of these actions—where individuals are cut off from their original faith, family structure, and community ties—proves this to be a textbook case of Predatory Proselytisation fueled by hostility towards Hinduism. Consequently, this case has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
