Hindu villagers targeted and brainwashed through fake healing for religious conversion by Christian missionaries
Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, India 
21 September, 2025
Case Summary
In the Bhaupurwa village of Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh, Hindu villagers were brainwashed and induced for religious conversion by Christian missionaries under the leadership of a Christian man named Lal Singh. According to reports, the accused, Lal Singh, also known as Lalu, was found to be encouraging Hindu villagers to embrace Christianity by claiming himself to be a healer, promising to provide cures for illnesses and performing exorcisms as part of his activities. He also conducted prayer meetings and distributed Bibles in order to push people towards conversion. Bajrang Dal, a Hindu organisation, received information that illegal conversions were going on in these prayer meetings, and during one such meeting, more than fifty Bajrang Dal workers, led by Adarsh Rajan and Neeraj, reached the spot. The accused managed to flee before they arrived, but the Hindu activists immediately informed the police. Police promptly arrived and detained ten people, including several women, on the basis of a complaint lodged by Hindu activists. A formal case was registered under Section 352 of the Criminal Procedure Code and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act. Following an investigation, eight individuals were arrested, including Tinku from Farrukhabad, Kashmir from Kannauj, and Rahul from Harpalpur. Police stated that strict legal action would be taken against those responsible for disturbing public order. As of the date of writing this report, the investigation was ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Predatory proselytisation. Under this, 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 relevant here is - Proselytisation by brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. Within this, 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. This case constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime, as Hindu villagers were lured into converting to Christianity under the guise of healing, exorcisms, and prayer meetings. The act of enticing Hindus under the pretext of prayer and religious gatherings demonstrated that these events were not genuine forums for worship or spiritual guidance but calculated attempts to exploit the trust of vulnerable villagers and induce them to abandon their faith. Such targeting of Hindu villagers showed that the perpetrators were exploiting social, emotional, and religious vulnerabilities for the purpose of religious conversion. These malicious actions were rooted in animosity towards Hinduism and sought to undermine the faith of its community members. Furthermore, the accused promised to cure their illnesses and performed exorcisms in order to push people towards conversion. Offering incentives or making false healing 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 promising healing and performing exorcisms in exchange for conversion, the accused effectively coerced vulnerable villagers into abandoning their faith. 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 perpetrators were also attempting to indoctrinate the Hindu victims by distributing Bibles during prayer meetings. Using the scriptures or literature of one faith to deliberately target and manipulate members of another, with the clear intention of religious conversion, represents a direct attack on the Hindu faith. Such actions are designed to violate and undermine the beliefs of Hindu victims and are clear indicators of religious hostility towards Hindus and their religious identity. When Christian religious material is used to exploit trust, sow doubt, and misrepresent the beliefs of Hindus to coerce conversion, particularly in a systematic manner, it constitutes a religiously motivated offence. These actions further demonstrate that this was not an isolated incident of evangelism, but part of a broader, organised effort to further religious conversions. 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 religion; it is an attempt to undermine the values, traditions, and identity of the Hindu community. 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. Such acts were deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindu victims, and thus, this case was added to the tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when the victim’s ordeal began. However, in this case, the report does not provide specific details regarding when such conversion activities took place. Therefore, for documentation purposes, the date of the incident has been recorded as the date it was reported in the media - September 22, 2025.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
