Hindu lured into conversion through Christian literature and propaganda, villagers apprehend Christian missionaries involved in illegal religious preaching
Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, India 
24 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Pipra Muderi village of the Maharajganj district, Hindu villagers caught Christian missionaries attempting to convert innocent villagers and distributing Christian literature and propaganda. According to reports, several individuals from outside the village were spotted engaging in suspicious activities near Yadav Mohalla. When local villagers questioned them, villagers found that they were preaching Christianity in an attempt to convert to convert local Hindus under the pretext of religious propaganda. The villagers immediately informed the police, who reached the spot and took all suspects into custody. During interrogation, it was revealed that they were engaging in religious preaching without prior administrative permission. Police seized religious literature and propaganda materials from the scene. The villagers complain that in the name of religious propaganda, efforts were being made to spread confusion and convert people in the villages, which can become a threat to social harmony. The villagers also stated that similar incidents had occurred in the past. As of the date of writing this report, the police registered a case against three individuals: Shailesh, son of Dinanath; Mahesh, son of Dinanath; and a woman named Kiran Yadav, and initiated further legal proceedings. The investigation was ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category: Predatory Proselytisation. Within it, the sub-category selected is: Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination, with the tertiary category being: 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 has been added to the tracker because Christian missionaries were attempting to convert unsuspecting Hindu villagers through the use of religious propaganda and the distribution of religious literature. The fact that they didn't take the necessary permission before their religious preaching shows their malicious intent. It points to deliberate intent to keep their conversion activities covert to evade scrutiny or intervention by local authorities. Such concealment suggests premeditated efforts to carry out religious proselytisation without drawing attention from authorities or any Hindu organisations. Villagers also reported that this is not an isolated incident and that similar attempts at conversion have occurred previously, indicating a sustained pattern of targeting Hindus. Villagers further stated that efforts were being made to spread confusion and convert people by these Christian missionaries. This proves that conversions were happening not through a genuine change of heart but rather through deception and subtle manipulation or brainwashing. 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. These tactics are designed not as acts of charity but as tools to engineer religious change under the guise of social upliftment, particularly among vulnerable and underprivileged communities. Thus, this case is symbolic of a broader pattern of targeting Hindus through covert, manipulative, and ideologically motivated proselytisation strategies, making it a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
