Religious conversion carried out under the guise of prayer meeting
Kodarma, Jharkhand, India 
18 April, 2025
Case Summary
In Chandwara’s Chatara village (Bendi Panchayat, Koderma district, Jharkhand), allegations surfaced that religious conversions were being carried out under the guise of a "prayer meeting." Certain villagers were reportedly socially boycotted after allegations emerged that they were involved in religious conversions under the guise of holding a prayer meeting. In response to the growing tensions and complaints from villagers, the administration decided to investigate the matter formally. Local sources stated that prayer meetings were being organised regularly in the village, during which efforts were being made to influence people to renounce their religion and adopt Christianity. Upon learning of this, villagers expressed anger and concern, leading to increased tensions in the area. District Commissioner Megha Bhardwaj ordered an investigation into the matter. Block Development Officer (BDO) Sumit Kumar Mishra was instructed to conduct a probe and submit a detailed report.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Predatory proselytisation. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Proselytisation by 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. Here, the use of a prayer gathering as a cover suggests that the individual involved may have been using indirect methods to lure or convince individuals into conversion, possibly targeting vulnerable individuals by exploiting their emotional, social, or religious needs. Further, the testimony of the villagers regarding the religious conversion activities solidifies the allegations that vulnerable locals were being brainwashed and manipulated into converting to Christianity. The entire operation, from luring poor individuals under false pretences to attempting to convert them, in fact, points to a clear pattern of predatory proselytisation. The deliberate targeting of poor people for conversion using manipulation and deceit makes this a religiously motivated act, warranting its inclusion in the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
