Economically vulnerable Hindus targeted for religious conversion by Christian missionaries
Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
1 April, 2025
Case Summary
In Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, a forced religious conversion racket was uncovered, leading to the arrest of four individuals on 2nd April 2025. The Lalganj police acted swiftly upon receiving reports that a group was actively luring people into Christianity through coercion and inducements. Along with the arrests, objectionable materials related to religious conversion were also seized. According to reports, certain individuals had been targeting vulnerable and economically weaker sections in Bhavaram Bojhi village, persuading them to convert. Acting on intelligence, the police launched an operation and arrested the individuals. The arrested individuals were identified as Vrindavan Saroj and his son Vivek Saroj (residents of Bhavaram Bojhi), Shatrughan Verma (resident of Leelapur), and Rakesh Verma (resident of Sangipur). These individuals were orchestrating a well-planned religious conversion scheme, exploiting innocent villagers. The police recovered conversion-related materials from the arrested individuals, confirming their involvement in the unlawful activity. Additional charges were applied based on the evidence found. The operation was conducted under the directives of the Superintendent of Police, with a 12-member police team led by the Lalganj Station House Officer. This action was taken under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021, which criminalises forced, fraudulent, or inducement-based conversions. The police reiterated their firm stance against such activities and warned of strict action against those involved.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the primary category- Predatory Proselytisation. 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 qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime as it involves the systematic targeting of vulnerable individuals based on their religious identity. The arrested individuals attempted to exploit economically weaker sections of society by offering financial incentives. Such actions demonstrate a calculated effort to separate the victims from their faith, thereby disenfranchising them from their religious and cultural roots. Furthermore, the exploitation of poverty for the purpose of religious conversion is a clear case of predatory proselytisation, where individuals are manipulated into altering their faith through deceitful means rather than personal conviction. By targeting a specific religious community and seeking to erode its presence through such tactics, the perpetrators demonstrate religious animosity. Given the intent behind these actions, this case is classified as religiously motivated hate crime
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
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