Hindus lured to convert to Christianity by offering money and disrespecting Hinduism
Jhunjhunun, Rajasthan, India 
15 March, 2025
Case Summary
In the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, attempts were made to convert Hindus to Christianity under the guise of prayer meetings. According to media reports, Hindus were lured to convert by offering money and spreading anti-Hindu sentiments. Hindu organisations arrived at the location to gather more information about the Christian prayer meeting and informed the police. Upon reaching the scene, the police attempted to enter the Bhavan, but the women present at the centre tried to block their entry. A scuffle ensued between some women and the officers, with the women behaving indecently. The police made efforts to calm the situation. Meanwhile, Hindu organisations filed a case against the organisers of the prayer meetings, as they were converting vulnerable Hindus in the area by enticing them with food, gifts, and money while spreading hatred towards Hinduism. The accused were identified as Varghese, Abhinejar Sangra, Rosie Sangra, Balkesh Sain, Seema, and others. The cases of predatory Christian conversions in the Jhunjhunu district are not a new occurrence. On 13th October 2024, a satsang was organised in the Jhunjhunu district to convert Hindus to Christianity. Six individuals were arrested in connection to this incident. They confessed to organising similar conversion events at multiple other locations.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Predatory proselytisation. Under this, the first sub-category 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 second sub-category 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, the Christian extremists were offering money to vulnerable Hindus in an attempt to disenfranchise them from their professed faith and convert them to Christianity. Luring Hindus to convert to a different faith by offering money and inducements such as miracle cures for ailments is predatory in nature since the extremists manipulate the specific vulnerabilities of disadvantaged and poor Hindus to manipulate them into conversion. Further, the accused also resorted to insulting Hinduism to provoke and alienate members of the Hindus 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. Such predatory actions arise from deep-seated hostility towards the victim’s faith, as Abrahamic doctrines often view non-adherents as lesser until they convert. Given that this act is driven by doctrinal animosity towards Hinduism and its followers, it is being recorded as a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
