Hindus, including minors, targeted for conversion to Christianity under guise of prayer meetings
Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India 
26 July, 2025
Case Summary
In Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, Hindus, including minors, were lured to convert to Christianity under the guise of prayer meetings. They were subjected to the teachings of Christian religious texts to facilitate conversion. According to media reports, the conversion event took place at a house behind Kalindi Samiti, where Christian prayers were held. The property had been rented by a member of the Christian community for a year. Hindus were enticed to attend the event under the pretence of participating in a prayer meeting. This gathering was attended by local Hindu men, women, and minors. Such events had been occurring every Sunday for the past year. Subsequently, a dispute arose over the matter. Upon learning of the situation, BJP leaders and workers arrived at the scene, stating that a group of Christians were attempting to forcibly convert Hindus to Christianity. Shortly afterwards, police from Sitaramdera police station arrived at the location with the Quick Response Team (QRT). Eleven people were detained at the scene. The police also recovered Christian religious literature, promotional material, and various documents related to conversion. Both Hindu and Christian groups were taken to the police station, where they were questioned. After the investigation, both parties were released. Former BJP district president Gunjan Yadav reported that members of the Christian community were converting people under the guise of prayer meetings at house number 231, Kalindi Basti Road No. 5. He added that he arrived at the scene accompanied by the police. On the other hand, NS Raju of the Jharkhand State National Christian Council denied any wrongdoing. He claimed that regular prayer meetings had been held there every Sunday for the past year, and that people from any community were welcome to participate. He claimed that the BJP members' allegations of religious conversion were an attempt to create communal tension.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the primary category- Predatory Proselytisation. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. Within this, the tertiary category selected is- 'Conversion of minor' and 'Pattern of targeting Hindus'. 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 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 proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. In this case, in Jamshedpur, Hindus were lured into converting to Christianity under the guise of a prayer meeting. The nature of these conversion efforts, and their impact on the wider Hindu community, clearly indicated a deliberate and targeted campaign against Hindus as a group. When evangelists and Christian missionaries focus their efforts on converting individuals of a particular faith, in this instance, Hindus, it reveals a fundamental disregard for that community and its beliefs. Conversion, especially when not based on sincere personal conviction but rather on external persuasion or pressure, is not about sharing a different religion. Instead, it is an attempt to undermine the values, traditions, and identity of the Hindu community. In this context, Christian missionaries specifically targeted Hindus, suggesting a distinct lack of respect for Hinduism and its followers. Such actions are undertaken with the intention of stripping Hindu victims of their faith, making this an instance of a religiously motivated crime. The act of luring Hindus under the pretext of prayer meetings demonstrates that these gatherings were not genuine invitations to interfaith dialogue or just religious prayers. Rather, they were calculated efforts to exploit the sense of community and trust within the Hindu community by disguising conversion attempts as prayer sessions. As a result, vulnerable Hindus were manipulated to abandon their faith. These malicious actions are rooted in religious animosity towards Hinduism and its community. In addition, Christian religious texts were found at the scene. These were deployed as instruments of persuasion and manipulation within these gatherings. Hindu attendees were systematically exposed to teachings intended to influence and ultimately persuade them to leave their faith. The discovery and use of religious literature and promotional materials revealed a clear intention to brainwash and convert Hindu participants. When religious material is wielded to exploit trust and drive conversion through manipulation, especially as part of an ongoing campaign, it constitutes a religiously motivated crime. Such predatory and calculated actions are meant to influence and coerce Hindus into adopting the Christian faith, serving as an obvious demonstration of religious hostility towards Hindus and their beliefs. It is also crucial to highlight that minors were among the victims in this case. When minors are targeted, the element of consent and a genuine change of conscience is absent from the outset. Due to their young age and lack of maturity, minors are particularly susceptible to manipulation and coercion, lacking the capacity to fully grasp the implications of religious conversion. The Christian perpetrators deliberately exploited the vulnerabilities of these young victims. The use of coercion and manipulation to achieve religious conversion in such circumstances constitutes a blatant act of religious hatred. Furthermore, this was not an isolated occurrence, but an ongoing campaign, with such events organised every Sunday for the past year. This sustained pattern demonstrates a deliberate and persistent strategy to target Hindus exclusively for their religious identity. The continuous and organised nature of these Christian prayer meetings highlights that such instances were not isolated incidents; rather, they were a systematic effort to undermine the Hindu community in the region and strip them of their Hindu faith. This makes this incident a case of a religiously motivated crime. Collectively, the tactics of luring, brainwashing through religious texts, targeting vulnerable minors, and maintaining this campaign over an extended period clearly demonstrate religious animosity towards Hindus. These targeted proselytisation activities are rooted in inherent hostility towards the Hindu faith, as Abrahamic religions treat non-adherents of their faith as outsiders and dehumanise them until they convert. These realities make such incidents clear examples of religiously motivated hate crimes against Hindus. Therefore, this case is being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Perpatrator released by Police
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
