Tribal Hindus and their children targeted for conversion to Christianity with promises of money, education, and healthcare; Hindu deities insulted
Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, India 
19 June, 2025
Case Summary
In Chaubara Jagir village, Sonkutch Tehsil, Dewas district, Madhya Pradesh, tribal Hindus and their children were targeted by Christian missionaries seeking to convert them to Christianity by offering incentives such as education, money, and medical facilities. The accused Christians also denigrated Hindu deities as part of their efforts to convert the Hindu population. According to news reports, this proselytisation campaign operated under the guise of a coaching class for underprivileged tribal children. The Christian missionary group focused on religious indoctrination, enticing tribal Hindu families with promises of money, education, and material benefits. Hindu organisations became aware of these activities, and Gajraj Singh Sendhav, a Hindu activist and a resident, filed a police complaint on 20th June 2025. An FIR was registered at Sonkutch Police Station. Gajraj Singh also stated that the accused had denigrated Hindu gods in their attempt to convert Hindus to Christianity. As per the police complaint, Gajraj Singh stated that he was informed by a villager from Bhatkund, a nearby hamlet, about a Christian religious meeting. He, along with fellow villagers Bhim Singh and Jai Singh, arrived at the venue at around 9:00 AM. The meeting was being held at the house of Bhagnu Jiyaji and was attended by several women and children from the village. Five individuals, including three women, Manju, Kiran, and Mahida, and two men, Sachin and Mithun, were conducting the proselytising session. They had brought posters of Jesus Christ, which they displayed on the walls. The group was delivering Christian sermons and spreading messages such as, “Our Jesus does everything. Whatever you ask from him, he fulfils. Keep his photo at home. He will protect you, not your gods.” The missionaries openly denigrated Hindu beliefs, urging people to discard images of Hanumanji, Bholenath, and Shri Ram, insisting these deities were incapable of offering protection. They declared, “If Ram could not save his wife Sita, how will he save you? Look at the world around you. If they were gods, why would so many bad things happen every day?” They also targeted children and their families to convert to Christianity. They were offering them Rs 50,000, free education, and guaranteed admission to reputable schools. They stated, “Come to Jesus and your life will change. Renounce Hinduism and you will be blessed.” When Gajraj Singh and his associates objected to such denigrating statements, a heated argument ensued. The confrontation caused tension, and the Christian missionary members attempted to flee the spot, but by then, the locals had already contacted the police. The police arrived at the scene promptly and brought the accused to Sonkutch Police Station. Based on statements and evidence, Manju, Kiran, Mahida, Sachin, and Mithun were charged under Sections 3 and 5 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, which addresses conversion through allurement, misrepresentation, or coercion, especially concerning minors and tribal populations. Section 3 prohibits conversion without prior approval from the district magistrate, while Section 5 outlines penalties for illegal conversion, particularly when the victims are women, minors, or members of Scheduled Castes or Tribes. The videos that emerged from the “coaching class” site revealed posters featuring verses specifically aimed at brainwashing and manipulating children to convert. These events were called BBM Vacation Bible School. One of the posters with an image of Jesus read, “Come, children, I will teach you the fear of Jehovah.” Another poster stated, “Jehovah is the only true God. He made us, and we are his children, his servants, and his animals.” Another such poster displayed a quote that read, “Jesus says, allow children to come to me. Do not stop them, for only they will go to heaven who send their kids to me.” The room where the conversion events would take place was arranged like a classroom inside a house, with a mat on the floor, posters on the walls, and dozens of tribal Hindu children in attendance who were being manipulated and indoctrinated into adopting Christianity. Gajraj Singh explained that they had been monitoring suspicious activities in the region for some time. He stated, “This is not the first time. These people were coming and going, holding classes for children. They claimed it was about education, but when we looked closely, we saw children being asked to pray to Jesus and call him their saviour.” He also added that one of the main accused fled the scene upon seeing the villagers arrive, carrying a bag filled with Bibles and religious books. The Hindu activist affirmed that he and the Hindu organisations would ensure that the main accused is also apprehended. Gajraj also stated, “We are not against any religion. But converting children without understanding, by luring them with food or schooling, is not faith, it is coercion.”
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- Conversion of minor and 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 the 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 proselytisation, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The other subcategory selected is- Attempting 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. In this case, in Dewas, Hindus were lured to convert to Christianity through incentives, denigration of Hindu deities, and brainwashing. The nature of the conversion efforts and the wider impact on the Hindu community all indicate a targeted action against Hindus as a group. 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 that 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 missionaries specifically targeted Hindus, which suggests a lack of respect for Hinduism and its followers. Such actions are carried out with the intention of stripping Hindu victims of their faith. The act of offering incentives like money, education and healthcare to encourage conversion shows that these incentives were not acts of kindness or charity. Instead, they were calculated moves to exploit vulnerable Hindus because of their religion. By providing inducements to Hindus to change their faith, the Christian perpetrators were effectively blackmailing those Hindus who might have been desperate for assistance. 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 Hindus of their agency and dignity and enforces forced conversions. These are not random or isolated incidents, but rather are premeditated efforts to undermine the Hindu faith, persuade Hindus to discard their own faith, and convert to Christianity. Such acts are deeply rooted in religious animosity towards Hindus and their faith. Furthermore, the perpetrators made derogatory remarks about Hindu deities and asked the victims to discard their images, making the religious motivation behind the crime even more evident. This goes beyond religious debate or proselytisation; it constitutes an act of incitement and insult directed at the core beliefs of the Hindu community. Such remarks are designed to demean and undermine the faith of Hindus, fostering an environment of hostility and disrespect. Hindu deities are highly revered by Hindus. Any attempt to insult them or desecrate their images is deeply offensive to Hindus. These acts of insulting Hindu deities stem from Christian theology, which harbours disdain and even hatred for polytheistic faiths, and which categorises Hindus as ‘polytheists’, thereby fostering hatred against them. This instance again makes the religious motivation behind the crime very evident. Another important point to highlight is that the conversion was also aimed at minors. This sort of targeted conversion of minor Hindus makes the malicious intent behind the crime crystal clear. The victims being minors indicates a lack of consent and a genuine change of conscience. It is a well-established fact that children are more susceptible to manipulation and coercion since they are still developing emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Their brains are not fully mature, making them more vulnerable. In this case, the Christian perpetrators had arranged a classroom-like setup and made attractive colourful posters with religious messaging, trying to brainwash and manipulate children into adopting Christianity. This clearly showcases a calculated strategy of targeting minor Hindu children who are less able to resist or understand the long-term implications of religious conversion, making it a significant case of religious-motivated hate crime. Additionally, even the Hindu activist stated that such conversions were happening almost on a regular basis in the area. Such repeated actions, especially when they involve inducements, religious denigrations, and brainwashing of children, are a clear example of a religiously motivated crime because they are directed at undermining the religious and cultural identity of Hindus. Such cases are not isolated instances but rather are well-calculated strategies to convert Hindus to Christianity. Such acts of targeted proselytisation activities stem from inherent hostility towards the victim's professed faith since Abrahamic faiths believe that any non-adherent to the faith is subject to being dehumanised till they convert. Since such predatory actions stem from doctrinal animosity towards the Hindu faith and its adherents, this case is being documented as a religiously motivated hate crime and included in the hate crime database.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
