Hindus enticed to convert to Christianity through monetary incentives, manipulation, and denigration of Hinduism
Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
21 June, 2025
Case Summary
In Kevatli village, under the jurisdiction of Maharajganj Police Station in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, Hindus were enticed to convert to Christianity through monetary inducements and false promises of resolving personal difficulties. In their efforts to convert Hindus, the Christian perpetrators also denigrated Hinduism. According to reports, the Christian accused operated in an organised manner, systematically misleading and inciting villagers to change their religion. The conversion of Hindus was taking place at the house of Gulab Chandra in the Scheduled Colony of Kevatli village, and this activity had been ongoing for several years. The accused lured Hindu villagers with financial incentives and deceptive assurances of resolving their problems, while also disparaging Hinduism to facilitate conversion. Rakesh Singh, a local Hindu resident, alerted the police to these illegal conversion activities. Based on his written complaint, an FIR was promptly registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021. Acting on this information, the police raided the premises where the conversions were taking place and arrested five accused: Gulab Chandra, Rajesh Kumar, Sandeep Kumar, Ram Anuj, and Sunil Kumar. A substantial quantity of material related to religious conversion was also seized, including ten Bibles, nineteen pocket books, seventy-four other Christian religious texts, and an album containing 124 photographs. These materials were used to persuade Hindus to adopt Christianity. The police confirmed that the accused operated in a coordinated manner, seeking to mislead and incite villagers into converting. The incident had caused unrest within the local Hindu community. Following these developments, the police launched a thorough investigation to determine whether additional individuals were involved in the network and whether similar activities were occurring in other areas. The Superintendent of Police in Jaunpur took a firm stance, stating that the law would be enforced rigorously in all matters concerning religious conversion.
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 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 Jaunpur, Hindus were lured to convert to Christianity through monetary incentives. The nature of the conversion efforts, the use of inducements to exploit Hindus, and the wider impact on the Hindu community all indicate a targeted action against Hindus as a collectivity. 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 use of monetary incentives to encourage Christian conversion clearly demonstrates that these actions were not motivated by kindness or charity. Instead, they were calculated attempts to exploit vulnerable Hindus specifically because of their religion. By providing inducements to Hindus to change their faith. The Christian perpetrators were effectively emotionally blackmailing those vulnerable 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 Hindu victims. Another deeply troubling aspect of this case is the use of false promises, specifically, assurances of ‘resolving problems’, to further the Christian conversion agenda. The Christian perpetrators exploited the vulnerabilities and hardships of Hindu villagers by offering deceptive guarantees of relief from personal difficulties. This manipulative strategy preys on individuals’ struggles and insecurities, using them as leverage to drive religious conversion. Such tactics are profoundly unethical and highly exploitative. Rather than respecting the autonomy and dignity of the Hindus involved, the perpetrators sought to manipulate and take advantage of them for their own religious objectives. This not only undermines the principles of free will and informed choice but also constitutes a targeted attack on the Hindu community. Furthermore, the perpetrators made derogatory remarks about Hinduism, 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. These acts of insulting Hinduism stem from Christian theology, which harbours disdain and 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. Reports also stated that such conversions had been happening for many years. Such repeated actions, especially when they involve inducement, manipulation, and religious denigrations, are a clear example of a religiously motivated crime because they are directed at undermining the religious and cultural identity of Hindus through manipulation and unlawful means. It also highlights that the conversions weren’t isolated or accidental but part of a long-term, targeted pattern. By focusing specifically on Hindus, these Christian evangelists were religiously profiling vulnerable individuals (often from economically weaker or socially marginalised groups) and working systematically to erase their Hindu identity. Further, the seizure of a large cache of Christian religious texts and photographs, specifically intended to induce conversion, demonstrates that this was not an isolated act of evangelism, but part of a broader, organised operation. When religious material is used to exploit trust, incite doubts, and facilitate conversion by misrepresentation, it constitutes a religiously motivated crime, especially when done systematically. These instances 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, making it a religiously motivated crime against Hindus. Since this case meets many parameters of a religiously motivated attack against Hindus and their faith; therefore, it is being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
