Hindus lured to convert to Christianity under pretext of prayer meeting in Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh
Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, India 
23 August, 2025
Case Summary
In Kusauda village, Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, Hindus were lured to convert to Christianity under the pretext of attending a prayer meeting. The accused was identified as Silva Kumar. The Hinduphobia Tracker contacted the police regarding this case. The police reported that the accused, Silva, had registered the property of a Hindu priest in his own name with the priest’s consent. Following this, he constructed his own house on the land. Later, on the date of the incident, a Hindu organisation reported that Christian conversions were being conducted in his house. He held prayer meetings there and attempted to convert Hindus to Christianity. The police confirmed that the matter was still under investigation. Reports stated that Christian conversion activities were taking place near the Kusavalnath temple. The house belonged to Silva Kumar, who was a teacher at St. Thomas School. On 24th August 2025, the Hindu villagers reported that Silva Kumar was luring people to convert to Christianity under the pretext of a prayer meeting with several people in his house. When the police received the information, a force was sent to the spot. However, by the time they arrived, those present had already fled, locking the house from the outside. According to the police, the law-and-order situation in the area remained normal. The police confirmed the incident, and officials continued their investigation into the matter.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Predatory Proselytisation. Within this, the 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 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. This incident in Kusauda village, Bhadohi, represented an instance of a hate crime against Hindus. 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 perpetrator specifically targeted Hindus, which suggests 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. The act of luring Hindus to convert to Christianity under the pretext of a prayer meeting was a deliberate form of religious manipulation. It sought to mislead devotees under the guise of worship, with the specific aim of eroding their faith and detaching them from their ancestral religion, Hinduism. Such practices go beyond mere persuasion. They constitute targeted exploitation of trust for the purpose of forced conversion, which directly undermines the dignity and spiritual freedom of the Hindu community. Such actions are a result of deep-rooted hostility towards Hinduism and the Hindu community, making it a religiously motivated crime. These instances of targeted proselytisation activities stem from inherent hostility towards the victim's professed faith since Abrahamic faiths believe that any non-adherent to their faith is subject to being dehumanised till they convert, making it a religiously motivated crime against Hindus. Since this case meets the parameters of a religiously motivated attack against Hindus and their faith; therefore, it is being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Complaint not filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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