Hindu women and children targeted for religious conversion through monetary inducements by Christian missionaries
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India 
9 June, 2025
Case Summary
In the Sukhi Sewania area of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, multiple Hindu families, including women and minor children, were targeted for religious conversion by Christian missionaries through inducements such as money, education, and medical facilities. The incident came to light after a raid conducted by Hindu organisations, during which Missionaries were caught red-handed while attempting to convert over 50 women and children to Christianity. The women, mainly from working-class backgrounds and poor slum settlements, were locked inside the hut where they were being offered inducements to convert, including ₹50,000 per person for conversion, free education and hostel facilities for their children in missionary schools, and access to medical treatment in big cities for senior citizens. Christian literature and cash were being distributed to the people present there. The main accused in this case is a person named Kaluram Gaur, who is an Indian citizen. Along with him, two young men and a woman, both of foreign origin, were also involved in the process of conversion. As of the date of writing this report, a case was registered by the police under the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act 2021, and the investigation was ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: - Predatory proselytisation. Within it, 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. This case has been added to the tracker because Christian missionaries were attempting to convert multiple Hindu families, including women and children, through the use of religious propaganda, distribution of Christian literature, and inducements. The fact that more than 50 women were locked inside a hut to prevent any disruption of the conversion attempts, combined with offers of ₹50,000 per person, free education and medical treatment, reflects a deliberate and malicious strategy to convert by stealth and manipulation. At the core of this crime is the strategic exploitation of economic vulnerability. The people who were targeted were working class and belonged to a poor economic background. The accused deliberately preyed on their financial distress, knowing that offers of monetary relief, education, and healthcare would make them more susceptible to conversion. This is not simple charity—it is a tool of religious manipulation, using material bait to break a person from their faith. Such inducement, when weaponised to engineer religious change, is not only unethical but also a direct attack on one’s belief system and community identity. Offering money or jobs wasn't a benevolent act, it was a systematic effort to disenfranchise Hindus from their faith. It is important to note here that some of the victims were minors and incapable of providing informed consent to such conversion activities. It is a well-established fact that children are more susceptible to manipulation since they are still developing emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Their brains are not fully mature, making them more vulnerable to brainwashing and religious conversion. 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 tactics are designed not as acts of charity but as tools to engineer religious change under the guise of social upliftment, particularly among vulnerable and underprivileged individuals. Thus, this case is symbolic of a broader pattern of targeting Hindus through covert, manipulative, and ideologically motivated proselytisation strategies, making it a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
