Hindus targeted for Christian conversion by pastor who claims to cure diseases, denigrates Hindu deities and temples
Saran, Bihar, India 
9 September, 2025
Case Summary
In Saran, Bihar, Hindus were targeted for Christian conversion by a pastor named Vikas Chaudhary, popularly known as Vaidyaji or Paniya Baba. He lured Hindus to convert to Christianity under the pretext of curing diseases. He also denigrated Hindu deities and insulted Hindu temples by stating, "Demons reside in temples." Media reports confirmed that Paniya Baba is originally from Nepal. Hindu locals stated that the pastor enticed people into converting to Christianity. He offered the locals ‘magical water', promising it would cure all diseases. A local Hindu shared that Paniya Baba deceived him. He said he drank the magical water given by the pastor for seven days, but saw no improvement in his health. Several others in the area recounted similar experiences of being deceived by Paniya Baba. Locals said the pastor was part of a Christian conversion network and received funding for conversion activities. Speaking to the media, Paniya Baba claimed he could cure any disease, including cancer, with his magical water. He further claimed that this water, blessed by Jesus Christ, could completely cure any person within three months. “Even someone on the verge of death or unable to walk will recover within three months by the grace of Lord Jesus,” he said. The pastor denied insulting Hindu gods and said he respected all religions. He said that, as a Christian preacher, he had only spread the message of Jesus Christ. However, locals reiterated that he insulted Hindu gods by stating that demons lived in temples. In this matter, the Superintendent of Police (Rural) and the Sub-Divisional Officer, Madhaura, were ordered to investigate. Police confirmed that a religious gathering had taken place on 10th September 2025 in Madarpur, Bheldi police station area, with the permission of the SDO (Sub Divisional Officer). Police issued orders to ban such gatherings with immediate effect.
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- 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. The tertiary category selected is- 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. The other subcategory selected is- Attempts to convert/ converting by denigrating Hinduism. In several cases, Hindus are converted or an attempt is made to convert Hindus by denigrating their faith, Hinduism. In such cases, the Hindus associate with the non-Hindu perpetrators often by choice and then, the attempt to convert them by insulting their faith, showing the faith down etc begins. An example of this would be a non-Hindu gathering where the Hindus are attending the gathering of their own free will. However, once they attend the gathering, there is an explicit attempt to convert them by abusing their faith and hailing the faith of the perpetrator. The denigration of the Hindu faith is often based on misrepresentation of the Hindu faith, its doctrine and scriptures and insult to espoused traditions if not blatant lies about Hindu beliefs and ways. Such conversions or attempts at conversions are driven by animosity towards the Hindu faith and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. This case constitutes a clear instance of a hate crime against Hindus as the Christian perpetrator, a pastor from Nepal, targeted Hindus by offering inducements under the guise of curing diseases. He promised a "magic water" that he said could heal any illness, including severe conditions. Such inducements were not acts of kindness or humanitarian concern but were deliberate, premeditated efforts aimed at coercing Hindus to abandon their ancestral faith and convert to Christianity. This systematic targeting demonstrates deep religious animosity towards the Hindu victims and their beliefs. The use of medicinal promises as a tool for conversion is manipulative and exploitative. It preys on vulnerable individuals’ trust and health fears, effectively deceiving them and undermining their religious identity. This manipulation harms both their physical well-being and religious autonomy, making it a malicious form of coercion beyond mere persuasion. Moreover, this was not an isolated incident targeting a single individual. Multiple Hindus in the area experienced similar approaches, showing a well-organised, coordinated conversion racket. The pastor's involvement in a larger network receiving funding for conversions further underscores that this was a deliberate campaign to strip Hindu communities of their faith en masse. This scale and coordination reinforce the case as a religiously motivated crime. Adding to the gravity of the hate crime is the perpetrator’s deliberate denigration of Hindu gods and temples. He openly insulted Hindu deities by calling them demons and disparaged Hindu temples by stating that demons reside there. For Hindus, gods and temples form the core of their religious identity and reverence. Such derogatory speech is a direct attack on the community’s faith and dignity, intended to humiliate and demoralise them to encourage Christian conversion. These instances of targeted proselytisation activities stem from inherent hostility towards the victims' 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 multiple parameters of a religiously motivated attack against Hindus and their faith, it is being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
