Two including a Christian missionary arrested in Hardoi for denigrating Hinduism and attempting to convert 25 Hindu women
Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, India 
28 September, 2024
Case Summary
On October 1, 2024, police in Sandi village, Uttar Pradesh, two individuals, identified as Narendra, a Christian missionary from Hardoi, and Dharmendra Kushwaha, a local resident, were arrested for attempting to convert over 24 women to Christianity. The arrest was made following a complaint filed by Adarsh Srivastava, the block security chief of Bajrang Dal. On September 29, reports indicated that a gathering of 20-25 women was taking place at Kushwaha's house, where Narendra was inciting them against Sanatan Dharma and promoting Christianity. Upon learning about the situation, Superintendent of Police Neeraj Kumar Jadoun visited the location with police personnel to address the community and ensure law and order. Following the incident, police increased patrols in the area, and sent both accused individuals to jail.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been listed in the tracker under the prime category- Predatory proselytisation. Under this, the 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. This case is a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime, where attempts were made to convert individuals by denigrating Hinduism. By targeting these women, the perpetrators aimed to undermine their faith through derogatory remarks and manipulative tactics, seeking to convert them to a different religion. This form of predatory proselytisation is particularly harmful because it not only attempts to convert individuals but also does so by vilifying their existing religious beliefs. The act of inciting hatred against Hinduism to facilitate conversions not only disrespects the religious sentiments of the victims but also seeks to strip them of their religious identity. Since the motivating factor of the crime was the religious identity of the victims and the intention of disenfranchising them from it, the case has been included in this tracker.
Victim Details
Total Victim
25
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 25
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 25
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 25
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
