Hindu women and children targeted in Bareilly coaching centre for forced Christian conversion
Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India 
18 October, 2025
Case Summary
In the Super City area under Baradari police station in Bareilly, a group linked to Christian missionary activities was found using a coaching centre to lure Hindu women and children into converting to Christianity. Reports suggested that similar activities were also taking place in other parts of the city, prompting an investigation by intelligence agencies. Rishabh Thakur, a resident of Subhash Nagar and son of Gautam Singh, lodged a complaint after receiving information from a man named Nirdosh Rathore that conversions were being conducted under the guise of a “prayer meeting.” When Rishabh and his companions reached the location, they found several women and children assembled inside the coaching centre. At the site, Rishabh identified Sumit Masey, William Masey, and Amit Masey from Super City, along with Sarita, the wife of Devendra, and Satyapal, the son of Maniram, from Sunrise Colony. They were discussing teachings related to Christianity. When questioned, Pastor Sumit Masey admitted that they were giving “initiation into Christianity.” He also attempted to convert Rishabh, handed him a book titled Stuti Aaradhana (Praise and Worship), and tried to make him repeat the words, “O Lord Jesus, I have come under your refuge.” Rishabh immediately informed the police, who arrived at the scene and detained the pastor along with two others. Inspector Dhananjay Pandey confirmed that a case had been registered, and the accused were being interrogated with further action underway.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category in this case is: Predatory Proselytisation. The subcategory under this is: Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. The tertiary categories selected are- Conversion of Minor and 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 Hinduphobia Tracker because it forms a clear case of proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. The inclusion is based on the deliberate targeting of Hindu women and children by individuals linked to Christian missionary activities, using a coaching centre as a cover to influence their religious beliefs. The conduct of the perpetrators in this incident demonstrates the hallmarks of religious grooming and brainwashing: repeated, subtle, and systematic attempts to instil disaffection towards the victims’ original faith while promoting adherence to a contrasting religion. The case qualifies as a hate crime against Hindus because the actions were motivated by animosity towards the victims’ religious identity. The perpetrators specifically targeted Hindu individuals with the intent to manipulate and indoctrinate them, exploiting the inherent trust and dependency present in such interactions. By attempting to convert minors and vulnerable women through psychological manipulation, instruction, and symbolic rituals, the perpetrators sought to undermine the victims’ right to practice and maintain their religion freely. Furthermore, the victims in this case included minors, making them particularly susceptible to coercion and influence. Their age and lack of maturity meant that any decision regarding conversion could not have been made freely or with informed consent. The perpetrators knowingly exploited this vulnerability, using subtle indoctrination and religious persuasion to attempt to sway the victims’ faith. The combination of targeting Hindu identity, exploiting trust, and manipulating vulnerable individuals clearly marks this incident as a case of religiously motivated hate, where the objective extended beyond individual belief and constituted a broader attempt to erode the religious identity of Hindus. Moreover, the conversion activities were being carried out under the guise of a 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. 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.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
