Hindus targeted for conversion under pretext of faith healing by Christian missionary and his wife
Kawardha, Chhattisgarh, India 
17 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Kawardha, Chhattisgarh, missionaries tried to convert Hindus to Christianity by giving them a false promise of healing of illness and other inducements. The incident occurred in Adarsha Nagar, where an event was held inside a private residence, where around 30 to 35 Hindu individuals. Many of them, suffering from illness or poverty, were gathered to attend the healing prayers. Reports from local residents and members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) stated that a conversion meeting was being organised under the guise of a prayer meeting. Participants were promised cures for their ailments through faith, but were instead subject to indoctrination attempts aimed at severing their ties with their Hindu faith. The event is said to have been led by a man named Thomas, who serves as the principal of Holy Kingdom School. Local sources revealed that Thomas had faced earlier accusations of religious conversion in 2012-2013. The missionary and his wife were identified as key figures in the event, and serious concerns have been raised about their long-term involvement in similar activities. Locals reported that due to the mystical activities undertaken by the couple, children are scared to go outside. Community members report that the couple has been exploiting people’s vulnerabilities, such as illness or financial hardship, to push them toward accepting a new religion. Upon receiving information about the gathering, VHP workers reached the location and apprehended approximately 20 individuals, triggering a commotion in the area. A large crowd assembled rapidly, leading to heightened tensions. City Kotwali Police arrived to manage the situation and control the crowd. Although no arrests were confirmed at the time of this report, police presence remained at the site, and investigations were underway. Authorities assured that appropriate action will be taken based on formal complaints.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker un the primary category of - Predatory Proselytisation. The sub-category selected here 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, and within it, 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 qualifies as a hate crime because the victims’ religious identity as Hindus was directly targeted, and the perpetrators employed a calculated strategy to exploit their vulnerabilities for religious conversion. The victims were targeted by giving them a false promise of curing illness. Promises of healing and material benefits were used to lure them into abandoning their faith. The use of subtle yet systematic religious messaging and repeated gatherings points to a broader strategy of indoctrination. When faith is eroded not by open debate or consent, but through sustained emotional manipulation and exploitation of economic dependence, it moves beyond mere conversion and enters the realm of predatory religious targeting. The recurring pattern of targeting Hindus under such pretences is what classifies this case as a religiously motivated hate crime, driven by antagonism towards a Hindu religious identity. Disclaimer: Here it becomes important to note that none of the media reports on this case mention the exact date, month or year when the conversion activity first began. Therefore, to document this case, we have chosen a date, which is not accurate but only indicative. Disclaimer: The case mentions that between 20 to 35 individuals were baptised by the accused, but does not provide an exact number. For documentation purposes, we have recorded the maximum count of 35 victims in the database. No specific gender breakdown is provided.
Victim Details
Total Victim
35
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 35
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 35
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 35
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
