Hindu villagers targeted and offered inducements for Christian conversion; accused urged villagers to throw away idols of Hindu deities
Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, India 
12 October, 2025
Case Summary
In the Kidiharapur village of Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu villagers were targeted and offered inducements for religious conversion by a Christian man named Alok Kumar. The accused also urged villagers to destroy the idols of Hindu deities. According to reports, the accused, a resident of Maryadapur village in Mau district, was visiting his relatives in Kidiharapur village. The accused was found luring Hindu villagers to convert to Christianity through monetary inducements and false promises of jobs, housing, and financial support. He held prayer meetings at local residences, including that of one Mahendra Ram, to persuade villagers to abandon Hinduism. During these meetings, he distributed Christian religious material and urged participants to destroy idols of Hindu deities as a symbolic act of renunciation. Subsequently, a complaint was lodged by a villager named Harikewal, prompting Bhimpura police to initiate an investigation. An FIR was registered under Sections 196 and 299 of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of Sections 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and the accused was arrested by the police. Police recovered a Bible and a donation/offering bag used to collect donations during conversion meetings. Following his arrest, the accused was sent to the Ballia court for further legal proceedings.
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. This case has been added to the tracker because Hindu villagers in Kidiharapur village were lured and offered inducements for religious conversion by the Christian accused. The accused promised the victims housing, money, and employment 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. Secondly, the accused did not limit his activities to persuasion; he actively denigrated Hinduism and urged the villagers to discard or destroy the idols of their deities. This goes beyond religious debate or proselytisation; it constitutes an act of incitement and insult directed at the core beliefs of the Hindu community. By encouraging villagers to break idols of Hindu deities in their homes, the accused sought to demean their 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. In Hinduism, idols of Hindu deities are not just artistic representations but are deeply revered manifestations of the divine. Their desecration is seen as a direct affront to the religious sentiments of Hindus and an act of profound disrespect. Thus, such remarks are often driven by deep-seated animosity and deliberate intent to insult Hinduism. Thirdly, the accused also distributed Christian religious literature and used prayer meetings as platforms for indoctrination. Using the scriptures or literature of one faith to deliberately target and manipulate members of another, with the clear intention of religious conversion, represents a direct attack on the Hindu faith. Such actions are designed to violate and undermine the beliefs of Hindu victims and are clear indicators of religious hostility towards Hindus and their religious identity. When Christian religious material is used to exploit trust, sow doubt, and misrepresent the beliefs of Hindus to coerce conversion, particularly in a systematic manner, it constitutes a religiously motivated offence. The nature of the inducements, the denigration of Hindu symbols, and the organised manner of the conversion attempts all indicate that the crime was religiously motivated and specifically targeted against Hindus as a collectivity. When individuals or groups focus their efforts on converting members of a particular religion, in this case, Hindus, it demonstrates a fundamental disregard for the Hindu faith. Conversion, especially when not based on personal conviction but rather on external persuasion or pressure, is not simply about sharing a different belief system. It is an attempt to undermine the values, traditions, and identity of the Hindu community. 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 complaint was filed - 10 October 2025.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
