Hindu villagers lured with inducements and targeted for Christian conversion under the pretext of prayer meetings in Sakti, Chhattisgarh
Sakti, Chhattisgarh, India 
27 October, 2025
Case Summary
In Sakti district’s Malkharoda area, an incident involving Christian conversion under the name of a healing meeting was reported. Members of the Sarva Hindu Samaj, a Hindu organisation, stated that during a prayer event held in Malkharoda Basti, there was an attempt made for religious conversion through manipulative inducements. They objected to the activity and filed a written complaint at the Malkharoda police station. The complaint stated that the event was conducted without official permission and that participants were being lured to convert with inducements. After receiving the report, the police arrived at the location and initiated action. They questioned the organisers and attendees, instructing them not to conduct such gatherings without prior approval. The station officer had mentioned that an investigation was ongoing and that legal measures would be taken if evidence of predatory conversion was found. Representatives of the Sarva Hindu Samaj also said that for some time, activities promoting religious conversion under the banner of healing meetings had been increasing in the village, creating dissatisfaction among locals. They had urged the authorities to stop such programs immediately and to take strict action against those responsible. The police had emphasised that maintaining peace in the area was their top priority. They had also appealed to residents to obtain permission before organising any religious event and warned that strict action would be taken against anyone holding such programs without approval.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Predatory proselytisation. Under 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 other subcategory selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. 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 has been added to the tracker because Hindus in Malkharoda were lured and offered inducements for religious conversion by the Christian missionaries. 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. Further, the victims were targeted for conversion under the guise of a Christian prayer meeting. The act of inviting Hindus to a prayer gathering, while simultaneously conducting conversion activities, demonstrates that these meetings were not genuine religious sessions or community prayers. Instead, they were calculated efforts to exploit the trust and social cohesion within the Hindu community by disguising conversion attempts as routine gatherings. 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 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, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported by the media- 28 October 2025.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
