Mass conversion event being conducted under the guise of prayer meetings and medical treatment
Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India 
17 October, 2024
Case Summary
In Pure Pasin village of Kumarganj police station area, Uttar Pradesh, a scheme involving religious conversion under the guise of treatment through prayer meetings and exorcism was uncovered. Police received a tip-off about people being persuaded to convert to Christianity by promising cures for serious illnesses. When the police arrived, they found over three dozen individuals, including women and children, gathered at the house of Shiv Milan, where three individuals were promoting Christianity and praising Jesus. Upon seeing the police, the group attempted to flee. Police detained 12 people at the scene and recovered Christian religious books, though the main organiser, Arun Kumar Kori, escaped into nearby forested areas.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added as a religiously motivated hate crime under the prime category- Predatory proselytisation, of the tracker. Within 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. The accused in this instance attempted to entice the Hindu victims to renounce their faith and adopt Islam by offering them medical assistance. Luring men or women from lower social classes with material temptations is a classic tactic used by such perpetrators to force their victims to abandon their stated religion and accept a foreign one. This case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime because the act of taking advantage of vulnerabilities with the intention of explicitly converting someone is motivated only by hatred against the victim's religion.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
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