Hindu villager's faith targeted, inducements offered for Christian conversion, in Gopalganj, Bihar
Gopalganj, Bihar, India 
27 October, 2025
Case Summary
A case of a religious conversion by inducement surfaced in Sohagpur village, Gopalganj. Residents tipped off the police, leading to the arrest of four individuals from Kerala and Odisha. Among the arrested individuals, two are from Kerala and two are from Odisha. They include William Mathai, a resident of Karimpra in the Palakkad district of Kerala, and Sarikan Abraham from Memna Chandiya village in Kollam district, Kerala. From Odisha, Sasikita Bano and Ranjan Veero, residents of Cheliganda village in Udaygiri police station area of Gajapati district, have also been arrested. The group was found in possession of suspicious documents related to conversion and was targeting a special group of Hindus with incentives like free education for children and a monthly payment of ₹5000 to convert people to Christianity. They were also heard denigrating Hinduism. Villagers, upon noticing these untraditional religious activities, informed the police, who acted swiftly and detained the 4 individuals. Investigations were launched to identify the mastermind and other members of the group. The police are also probing whether the conversions were carried out under duress or financial inducement, both of which would constitute illegal activities. The situation has created tension in the village, but police presence has kept it under control.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Predatory proselytisation. Under this, first sub-category selected 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. The second subcategory 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 Hindu villagers in Sohagpur village were lured and offered inducements for religious conversion by the Christian group. The accused promised the victims a monthly payment of ₹5000, free education for children, in exchange for conversion 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. The accused did not limit their activities to predatory persuasion; they actively denigrated Hinduism to emphasise the superiority of Christianity. This goes beyond religious debate or benign proselytisation; it constitutes an act of incitement and insult directed at the core beliefs of the Hindu community. By disparaging Hinduism, the accused sought to demean victims' faith and create confusion or doubt about their own religion. Such actions foster an environment of hostility and disrespect towards Hinduism, highlighting the religiously motivated nature of the crime and the deliberate targeting of Hindu beliefs and practices. 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, rather than when it was reported by the media. It is important to clarify that none of the media sources covering this case has specified the exact date when the conversion activities began. Therefore, in this instance, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the media report was published - 27 October 2025.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
