Minor Hindu children targeted for conversion by Christian missionaries in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh

Case ID : d326f7a | Location : Raj Nandgaon, Chhattisgarh, India | Date of Incident : Mon, 5 January, 2026

Case ID : d326f7a

Raj Nandgaon, Chhattisgarh, India

5 January, 2026

Minor Hindu children targeted for conversion by Christian missionaries in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh

Predatory Proselytisation

Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination

Conversion of minor

Pattern of targeting Hindus

Case Summary

In the Dharampur village on the outskirts of Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, minor Hindu children, including tribal children, were brought to an orphanage for religious conversion by Christian missionaries. The missionaries conducted religious conversion under the guise of organised prayer meetings. According to reports, minor Hindu children were being converted to Christianity inside a private residential complex, which was an orphanage. The premises belonged to David Chacko, who had earlier informed the village sarpanch and residents that a residential structure was being constructed at the site. However, the building was later used as an orphanage where tribal Hindu children from multiple villages and districts, including Kanker, were brought and housed, and the premises functioned as an impermanent church. The missionaries also conducted prayer meetings to brainwash children into conversion. On 6 January 2026, when villagers and local Hindu organisations, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagran Manch, got information about the conversion activities, they intervened, gathered at the site, held a protest and reached the site. They found around 10–12 minor tribal Hindu children at the location at the time. Subsequently, police also arrived at the location. Subsequently, Hindu organisations submitted a memorandum to the Superintendent of Police demanding strict action and stating that missionary-led conversion activities would not be permitted in the state. Police initiated an investigation into the matter, with a child welfare officer involved, and verification of documents related to the minors residing in the complex was undertaken as part of the probe.

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 - Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. The tertiary category selected is - Conversion of minor. 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 the 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 proselytisation, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. This case has been added to the tracker because minor Hindu children were brought to an orphanage for religious conversion by Christian missionaries. The missionaries conducted religious conversion under the guise of organised prayer meetings. Firstly, it is important to note here that the victims were minors, which means the element of consent and genuine change of conscience was missing ab initio. Minors, due to their young age and lack of maturity, are particularly vulnerable to manipulation and coercion. They may not have the ability to fully understand the implications of converting to another religion, and the Christian perpetrator purposely targeted and exploited this vulnerability of the victim. Since this case exemplifies the use of coercion and manipulation to achieve religious conversion, it is a blatant act of religious hate, which is why it has been documented here in the hate tracker. Such acts are not merely criminal in nature; they are ideologically charged, revealing religious prejudice and a calculated intent to alter the religious identity of minors without their volition. Secondly, 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 organiser 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 accused sought to manipulate vulnerable Hindus, taking advantage of their emotional and social circumstances to push them towards conversion. Additionally, the nature of the conversion efforts and the wider impact on the Hindu community all indicate a targeted action against Hindus as a collectivity. When individuals or groups focus their efforts on converting members of a particular religion, in this case, Hindus, then 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. In this context, the Christian perpetrators specifically targeted Hindus, which demonstrates a lack of respect for Hinduism and its followers. Such actions are carried out to strip Hindu victims of their faith, making it a religiously motivated crime. Such actions stem from inherent hostility towards the victim's professed faith since Abrahamic faiths believe that any non-adherent to the faith is subject to being dehumanised till they convert. Therefore, religious conversions, even of minors, are often seen as a badge of honour, totally disregarding the methods used to achieve it. Since such predatory actions stem from doctrinal animosity towards the Hindu faith and its adherents, this case is being documented as a religiously motivated hate crime.