Hindu residents targeted and offered inducements for religious conversion by Christian missionaries in Saharsa, Bihar
Saharsa, Bihar, India 
24 January, 2026
Case Summary
In the Paswan Tola locality of Saharsa, Bihar, Hindu residents were targeted and offered inducements for religious conversion by Christian missionaries led by Pastor Dharmendra Rai. According to reports, on 25 January 2026, some Christian missionaries posing as religious preachers entered the Paswan Tola locality and targeted poor, backward and deprived Hindu families for religious conversion. They offered cash amounts of ₹50,000, refrigerators, household appliances, free medical treatment and other material benefits in exchange for converting to Christianity. When Bajrang Dal, a Hindu organisation, received information about such illegal conversion activities, they reached the spot, after which local residents also gathered, leading to a tense situation. Police also promptly arrived at the scene, and five individuals were found to be involved in such activities: three men and two women. The three men were arrested by the police, while the two women managed to flee the scene. One of the detained men was identified as Dharmendra Rai, a self-styled pastor and resident of Panchgachhia (Virat). Sadar Police Station SHO Subodh Kumar arrived with police personnel and began an investigation, while efforts were made to trace the absconding women and examine the wider network involved.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been documented under the selected primary category: Predatory proselytisation. Under this, the selected secondary category 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 was added to the tracker because Hindu residents were targeted and offered inducements for religious conversion by Christian missionaries led by Pastor Dharmendra Rai. The missionaries targeted poor, backward and economically deprived Hindu families, exploiting their vulnerability by offering cash payments, household appliances such as refrigerators, promises of free medical treatment, and other material benefits in exchange for abandoning their faith and converting to Christianity. Offering incentives or making false 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 providing inducements in exchange for conversion, the accused were 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. These are not random or isolated incidents, but rather cases deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims. 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. As the core motivation of the act stemmed from hostility towards the victims’ Hindu religion, this incident was added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
