Hindu women coerced to abandon faith during secret conversion drive disguised as prayer meeting, forced to wipe off Sindoor
Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India 
7 October, 2025
Case Summary
In Bhaura village, under Dudhara police station limits of Uttar Pradesh's Sant Kabir Nagar district, a “prayer meeting” was being used as a cover for conversion activities. It was reported that more than 100 Hindu women were being coerced into abandoning their faith through allurements. They were also being forced to wash off their Sindoor. The situation turned tense after members of the Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh arrived at the scene and confronted those involved. Police later arrived at the scene and detained three suspects for questioning. According to Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh district vice president Saurabh Jaiswal, over 100 Hindu women had been gathered inside a room and were being enticed with money to abandon their faith. He stated that the women were made to wash off their sindoor and were being pressured to adopt Christianity. The conversion process, he stated, was carried out by misleading innocent villagers with false promises of divine miracles and assurances of curing illnesses. When the Mahasangh members opposed the activity and attempted to record a video, several people present at the spot, including women, tried to attack them with shoes, slippers, and sticks. Jaiswal further stated that two women leading the conversion, identified as Urmila and Neelam, threatened to implicate them in false legal cases if they continued to resist. Soon after the altercation, police arrived at the scene and took three individuals into custody for interrogation. Members of the Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh submitted a written complaint to the police, stating that they had received information about the ongoing conversion over a phone call. Upon reaching the site, they found that people were being “brainwashed” and persuaded to change their faith. Villagers told police that such gatherings had been taking place in the area for nearly six years, with new participants joining each time. Locals said they had raised objections multiple times in the past, but the practice continued. Police launched an investigation to verify the allegations and identify all those involved. Notably, a similar case was reported recently from Gorakhpur, where a “beauty parlour” was allegedly being used to facilitate religious conversion. In that case, a woman named Laxmi Yadav was arrested and sent to jail, and conversion-related materials were recovered from her residence.
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- 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 other subcategory selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation, or subtle indoctrination. The tertiary category selected is- Pattern of targeting Hindus. 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. The second primary category selected here is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The second subcategory is- Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This case constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime, as Hindu women were targeted for conversion under the guise of a Christian prayer meeting. What was presented as a simple prayer gathering inside a house was in reality a covert attempt at religious conversion. These were not genuine community prayers but calculated efforts to exploit the trust of Hindus and manipulate them into abandoning their faith. The organisers deliberately held the meeting in secrecy and without permission from the administration, indicating a deliberate and deceptive strategy designed to avoid public attention and scrutiny. By conducting such gatherings covertly, the Christian missionaries sought to manipulate vulnerable Hindus, taking advantage of their emotional and social circumstances to push them towards conversion. Furthermore, the accused promised to cure their illnesses and promised financial benefits in order to push people towards conversion. Offering incentives or making false healing promises, especially when directed at vulnerable individuals in need, shows that these incentives are not acts of kindness or charity. Instead, they are calculated moves to exploit vulnerable Hindus because of their religion. By promising healing and monetary assistance in exchange for conversion, the accused effectively coerced vulnerable villagers into abandoning their faith. 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. These are not random or isolated incidents, but rather cases deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims. The other thing which makes this incident particularly egregious is that the evangelists were forcing the Hindu women to wipe off their Sindoor. Sindoor is not merely an ornament or cultural symbol; it holds deep religious significance in Hinduism. It represents marital sanctity, devotion to dharma, and the woman’s connection to her faith and family. The act of applying sindoor is a sacred ritual in Hindu tradition, symbolising the blessings of Goddess Parvati and the longevity of one’s husband. Forcing a Hindu woman to remove it is, therefore, a direct assault on her religious identity, beliefs, and dignity. When such an act is carried out in the context of conversion attempts, it goes beyond individual violation and becomes a symbolic act of humiliation and domination. By compelling women to wipe off sindoor, the perpetrators seek to sever their visible ties with Hindu customs and mark their detachment from the Hindu faith. It is a way to publicly denounce Hinduism and enforce a new religious allegiance. When evangelists and Christian missionaries focus their efforts on converting individuals of a particular faith, in this instance, Hindus, it reveals a fundamental disregard for that community and its beliefs. Conversion, especially when not based on sincere personal conviction but rather on external persuasion or pressure, is not about sharing a different religion. Instead, it is an attempt to undermine the values, traditions, and identity of the Hindu community. The fact that such meetings had been held previously despite repeated police warnings shows a sustained effort to push conversions in the area, revealing a deeper hostility towards the Hindu faith 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 deceptive or unethical means to achieve their objectives. By disguising conversion attempts as prayer sessions, the organisers aimed to bypass resistance and draw unsuspecting Hindus into their network. In such cases, Christian missionary groups targeted and attempted to brainwash socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. These were not random or isolated incidents, but rather premeditated efforts to undermine the Hindu faith, persuade Hindus to discard their own religion, and convert to Christianity. Such acts are deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims and their faith. Therefore, this case has been added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Victim Details
Total Victim
100
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 100
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 100
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 100
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
