Tribal Hindu villagers pressured to convert to Christianity through inducements by American Christian missionaries
Depalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India 
4 March, 2026
Case Summary
In the Depalpur area of Indore district, tribal Hindu villagers were offered inducements for religious conversion by an American Christian evangelist named Adam. The incident came to light after activists associated with Hindu Jagran Manch intervened and submitted a written complaint to the police, prompting an investigation by local authorities. According to information submitted to the police, an American national identified as Adam arrived in the Depalpur region on 5 March 2026. He was accompanied by a local translator named Sunil, who assisted him in communicating with members of the Bhil tribal community. During their visits, the two approached tribal Hindu families and encouraged them to convert to Christianity by offering them various forms of inducements. After receiving information from local residents about such conversion activities, Hindu Jagran Manch activists monitored the situation and later arranged another interaction with the individuals involved. Four days after Adam’s arrival, another American national named Evan reached Depalpur along with Sunil. During a meeting with a tribal Hindu family, the issue of religious conversion was again discussed, and Adam also participated in the conversation through a video call. Following these developments, Hindu Jagran Manch activists intervened and took Sunil to the police station, where a formal complaint was submitted seeking action in the matter. The written application was filed by Vishal, son of Punamchand Muniya, a resident of Ayodhya Basti, along with Jitendra, son of Amarsingh Mandloi, a resident of Ward No. 8 in the area. Activists also stated that they possessed audio recordings of the conversations in which attempts were made to persuade members of the tribal community to adopt Christianity. The matter was reported to the local police station in Depalpur, where Station House Officer Ranjit Singh Baghel confirmed that the foreign national had entered India on a tourist visa and had been seeking information about a clan belonging to the tribal community in the region. The police informed senior officials about the incident and initiated an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the visit and the reported discussions with members of the tribal society. Further action was stated to be dependent on the outcome of the investigation.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- 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. The other sub-category 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 members of a tribal Hindu community in the Depalpur area of Indore district in Madhya Pradesh were targeted and influenced for religious conversion by foreign Christian evangelists who attempted to persuade them to adopt Christianity by offering inducements and engaging them in targeted discussions about conversion. Firstly, the perpetrators offered inducements to Hindus in an effort to convert them 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 strategies used to exploit vulnerable Hindus because of their circumstances. By providing inducements in exchange for conversion, the accused were effectively leveraging the hardships of individuals who may 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. Therefore, these incidents cannot be viewed as isolated acts of religious outreach but rather as part of a broader pattern of targeted proselytisation directed at vulnerable Hindu communities. Secondly, the perpetrators held discussions with the Hindu villagers in an effort to influence them. The discussions regarding conversion were not limited to a single interaction but continued over multiple meetings. These repeated engagements show that the interactions were not casual conversations but sustained efforts directed specifically at Hindu villagers with the objective of influencing them to convert to Christianity. The conversations were structured around persuading members of the tribal Hindu community to reconsider their religious beliefs and adopt another faith, while inducements were discussed in the process. This demonstrates that the meetings were not neutral interfaith dialogues or exchanges of religious ideas, but targeted engagements aimed at encouraging religious conversion among Hindu residents. By repeatedly approaching the same community and maintaining contact through both in-person meetings and remote participation, the individuals involved attempted to gradually influence and persuade the villagers to move towards conversion. The Christian faith, by its theological foundations, places a strong emphasis on proselytisation. In pursuit of conversion objectives, Christian evangelists often employ unethical means, ranging from prayer meetings and misinformation to inducements such as money, jobs, or promises of healing from illness. These methods are frequently directed at vulnerable communities where emotional, social, or economic hardships can be exploited to influence religious decisions. Given that members of a tribal Hindu community were directly contacted, encouraged to convert to Christianity, and offered inducements as part of a structured outreach effort conducted by foreign missionaries, this case has been included in the tracker as an instance of religiously motivated targeting of Hindus for conversion. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when an event occurred or when the victim's ordeal began. Since Adam arrived in Depalpur on 5 March 2026 and began contacting members of the tribal Hindu community during this visit, the date of the incident has been recorded as 5 March 2026.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
