Hindus being proselyitised to convert to Christianity by Christian missionary
Jorhat, Assam, India 
3 February, 2025
Case Summary
In Jorhat, Assam, Hindus were lured and converted to Christianity, by a Christian man named Brandon Joel Devealt from Canada. He was engaged in illegal evangelical activities. His visa had expired, yet he lived in Assam to carry out conversions. The police detained him for violating visa rules. His visa had expired on 7th January 2025, yet he stayed back in India to address religious gatherings advocating to convert to Christianity. Jorhat SP Shwetank Mishra said: "On February 4, we received information that a Canadian national, Brandon Joel Devealt, who had entered India on a tourist visa, was engaging in evangelical activities in Jorhat. Upon inquiry, it was found that he was involved in proselytisation and was operating from the Grace Church located on Jail Road in the Borbheta area of Jorhat town." He further said: "During the investigation, it became evident that Devealt was not only overstaying his visa but also actively participating in activities that were against the terms of his visa. Such actions are a serious breach of Indian laws." Brandon was deported to his country from New Delhi on 6th February 2025, after the FRRO in Kolkata asked him to leave India immediately.
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. 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. 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
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
