Hindu family lured to convert to Christianity with financial incentives and by denigrating Hinduism

Case Summary
A case of forced religious conversion surfaced in the Kasarwadi area of the Sajjangarh subdivision. Narendra Singh, the station in charge, registered a case and arrested the accused involved in the incident. The complaint was filed by Mangilal, a resident of Rangatpada Kanchala, who reported that on January 24, 2025, around 11:30 AM, a group of individuals visited his house and pressured him, his family, and his friends to convert to Christianity. They lured them with financial incentives and used abusive language against Hindu deities. The accused also distributed Christian religious books at various locations in the area, creating tension among residents. Upon receiving the complaint, Narendra Singh immediately reached the location, apprehended the accused, and seized materials related to the conversion activities. The arrested individuals included Shailendra from Bijalpur, Kalusingh from Halia Tehsil, and others from Andhra Pradesh, namely Minjuru Neru Prasad, his wife Pushpa, Tere Elizabeth, and Lalita. The police initiated further investigations into the matter to uncover the full extent of the activities and any additional individuals involved.
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 through inducements. 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 second sub-category relevant here 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. Here, some Christian evangelists attempted to convert Hindus through financial incentives. The use of inducements to convert individuals is indeed a common tactic in efforts to influence or manipulate vulnerable individuals into changing their faith. This approach often targets economically disadvantaged groups, offering material benefits such as food, money, or livestock in exchange for conversion. It creates a form of dependency that can alienate individuals from their original faith, as they may feel compelled to convert not out of genuine belief but due to immediate needs or financial pressures. Here too, the Christian evangelists adopted a similar tactic of exploiting the vulnerability of the Hindus to convert them to Christianity. Further, the accused also resorted to insulting Hindu deities to provoke and alienate members of the Hindu community from their faith. This tactic is usually employed not only to assert the perceived superiority of their own religious beliefs over Hinduism but also to instil doubt in the minds of Hindus, making them more susceptible to conversion. Since exploiting vulnerabilities for the explicit purpose of conversion is purely based on animosity towards the victim's faith, this case has been categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime.

Case Status
Arrested

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
both