Hindu villagers targeted and offered inducements for religious conversion under guise of prayer meeting by Christian man
Kanker, Chhattisgarh, India 
21 January, 2026
Case Summary
In Karaki village of Durgukondal, Kanker, Chhattisgarh, Hindu villagers were targeted and offered inducements for religious conversion by a Christian man named Shivram Kowachi. Hindu villagers submitted a written application to the Kodekursi police station, seeking registration of a case over forced religious conversions carried out through inducements. The application was submitted by the village sarpanch, Jawahar Thakur, along with Ramlal Jain, Narendra Kumar Rajman Kovachi, and several other villagers, in the presence of the Kodekursi police station in-charge. The complaint stated that on 22 January 2026, a Christian prayer meeting was held at the house of a Christian man named Shivram Kowachi, during which inducements were offered to Hindu villagers in exchange for converting to Christianity. It was also revealed that conversion-related propaganda was spread in nearby villages, and offensive and derogatory language was used. Upon receiving information, villagers reached the spot to counsel those involved, where they were subjected to further objectionable remarks. The matter was then reported to the police, following which a police team was deployed in connection with the incident. A village meeting was convened on 25 January 2026, during which Shivram Kowachi announced his decision to return to Hinduism. Although the entire village was invited to attend the meeting, several individuals named in the complaint remained absent. The villagers further stated that after these developments, false accusations of abuse and assault were circulated, creating the risk of communal tension in the village. The police station in-charge accepted the application and assured that the matter would be investigated.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category selected is Predatory Proselytisation. 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- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. 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 Hindu villagers in Karaki village were targeted and offered inducements for religious conversion during a Christian prayer meeting organised at the residence of Shivram Kowachi. Firstly, Hindu villagers were drawn into conversion-oriented activities under the guise of a prayer meeting. What was presented as a routine religious gathering inside a private residence functioned as a concealed attempt to influence and induce Hindus to abandon their faith. The meeting was not limited to personal worship but involved the dissemination of conversion-related propaganda and the use of offensive and derogatory language, indicating a deliberate effort to undermine Hindu beliefs. These were not genuine community prayers but calculated efforts to exploit the trust of Hindus and manipulate them into abandoning their faith. By conducting such gatherings, the Christian accused sought to manipulate vulnerable Hindus, taking advantage of their emotional and social circumstances to push them towards conversion. Secondly, the accused also offered inducements to Hindus in exchange for 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 or promising healing 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. 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. Taken together, the targeting of Hindus, the use of inducements and the lack of transparency regarding the prayer meeting establish a pattern of coercive proselytisation. Because the core motivation of the act stems from hostility toward the victim’s religion, it meets the threshold of a hate crime. Disclaimer: This tracker acknowledges that there were multiple perpetrators involved in targeting Hindus for conversion. However, since only one perpetrator, Shivram Kowachi, is explicitly identified by name in available reports, the perpetrator count has been recorded as one.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
