Hindu children lured with toys and books to convert to Christianity, asked to stop worshipping Lord Ram and Krishna
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India 
15 February, 2025
Case Summary
In Indore, Madhya Pradesh, a Christian group of four women tried to convert Hindu children to Christianity by luring them with expensive gifts, free treatment and education. The Dhar Kothi Residents Association stated that the female workers associated with Christian missionaries used to call children living in the slums on the pretext of medical examination. There, they were lured to adopt Christianity by giving them breakfast, expensive toys, books and money. According to the police, the children said that they were being asked to stop worshipping Lord Ram and Krishna. They were given symbols of the cross in their hands and were made to pray to Jesus. The children were told that they were now going to Jesus's house, and from now on, they were followers of Jesus. On 16th February 2025, some residents of the Sanyogitaganj police station area saw that a large number of children were gathered in one place. Expensive toys, books, food items and cold drinks were kept there. When they questioned the female Christians, they first made the excuse of medical examination of the children. But the relatives of the children told the truth that they were being lured to adopt Christianity. According to media reports, these women were going around to slum areas and converting poor Hindus to Christianity. The Hindu Jagran Manch reached this spot and called the police. The police arrived and arrested the four Christian women. A case was registered under sections 3 and 5 of the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act 2021. The accused were identified as Sheela, Anshuman, Francina and Prabha.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category of- Predatory Proselytisation. Under this, the first sub-category selected is- Conversion/attempts to convert by inducements. 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 chosen is- Attempt 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. The third sub-category under which this case has been placed is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. Within this, the tertiary categories selected are- 'Pattern of targeting Hindus' and 'Conversion of minor'. Religious brainwashing essentially means the often subtle and forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up their religious beliefs to accept contrasting regimented ideas. Religious grooming or brainwashing also involves propaganda and manipulation. It involves the systematic effort, driven by religious malice and indoctrination, to persuade “non-believers’ to accept allegiance, command, or doctrine to and of a contrasting faith. Cases of such grooming or brainwashing are far more nuanced than direct threats, coercion, inducement and violence. In such cases, it is often seen that there is repeated, subtle and continual manipulation of the victim to induce disaffection towards their own faith and acceptance of the contrasting faith of the perpetrator. While subtle indoctrination is widely acknowledged as predatory, an element which is often understated in such conversions or the attempts of such conversion is the role of loyalty and trust which might develop between the perpetrator and the victim. Fiduciary relationships are often abused to affect such religious conversion. For example, an educator transmitting religious doctrine of a competing faith to a Hindu student. The Hindu student is likely to accept what the teacher is transmitting owing to existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinate victims would also be included in this category. Since the underlying animosity towards the victim’s faith forms the basis of predatory proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. This case is a clear example of predatory proselytisation, where vulnerable Hindu children were targeted and manipulated into conversion through material incentives and emotional coercion. The deliberate effort to lure these children with expensive gifts, food, and promises of education and medical treatment exposes a calculated attempt to exploit their socio-economic conditions for religious conversion. Furthermore, the act of instructing them to abandon their worship of Hindu deities, forcibly imprinting Christian symbols on their hands, and declaring them as followers of Jesus underscores a deeper agenda of religious erasure. The fact that these Christian women were systematically visiting slum areas to persuade impoverished Hindus to abandon their faith demonstrates the premeditated and organised nature of their activities. It is important to highlight here that the victims included minors, indicating a lack of consent and a genuine change of conscience. It is a well-established fact that children are more susceptible to manipulation since they are still developing emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Their brains are not fully matured, making them more vulnerable to influence and less capable of critically evaluating information. Moreover, subtle manipulation tactics can be difficult to detect, especially when employed by trusted authority figures in positions of influence. This makes it challenging for parents, to identify and address instances of religious manipulation. Consequently, cases involving religious manipulation of minors not only represent an infringement on an individual's religious freedom but also demonstrate a calculated strategy of targeting those who are less able to resist or understand the long-term implications of conversion. Since by targeting impressionable children and enticing them with gifts, these Christian missionaries sought to strip them of their Hindu identity and assimilate them into Christianity through deceptive means, this case qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime and has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
female
Sources 
