Hindu man in commits suicide, raises concern about the rampant Christian conversions happening in Himachal Pradesh
Rampur, Himachal Pradesh, India 
16 March, 2025
Case Summary
In Rampur, Himachal Pradesh, a Nepali Hindu man, Lal Singh Dale committed suicide by jumping into the Sutlej River. However, before taking his own life, he recorded a video in which he urged the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh to stop illegal Christian conversions in the state. According to a media report, Lal Singh, in a naked state, kept floating in the middle of the Sutlej River. He sometimes stood on stones and sometimes dipped into the water. During this time, he recorded a video on his mobile phone, in which he raised concerns about the rampant illegal Christian conversions going on in the state. He appealed to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu to address the issue. He said, “People call me a drunkard and mad, but the truth is something else.” In his dying testimony, Lal Singh stated that while people thought he was a drunkard and mentally ill, he was not like that. He further raised concern over the illegal conversion going on in Himachal Pradesh and sought the intervention of the Chief Minister. The police were alerted to the case and immediately launched an investigation. Lal Singh's video appeal before his suicide became a matter of investigation, as such statements made in one's final moments raised concerns and had to be taken seriously. The police registered a case and began an inquiry to determine whether there was a larger conspiracy behind the incident or if it was simply a matter of personal stress. This incident intensified the debate on illegal Christian religious conversion activities in Himachal Pradesh. A question arose as to why Lal Singh specifically raised the issue of religious conversion before he took his own life.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the 'Undecided' Database because, while it involves a dying declaration, it does not explicitly establish that Lal Singh Dale was personally subjected to coercion or threats of conversion. Unlike the Lavanya case, where the victim categorically stated that she was pressured to convert and subjected to mistreatment due to her refusal, Lal Singh’s statement does not include specific allegations about his own life or suggest that his suicide was directly driven by resistance to conversion. Instead, his declaration focuses on highlighting illegal Christian conversions as a broader issue in Himachal Pradesh. The Lavanya case refers to the tragic suicide of a 17-year-old Hindu schoolgirl from Tamil Nadu in January 2022. Before taking her own life, Lavanya left a dying declaration in which she explicitly stated that she had been subjected to relentless pressure to convert to Christianity by the administration of the Christian missionary school where she studied. She recounted how she was coerced to abandon her Hindu faith, and when she resisted, she faced mistreatment, including being assigned excessive chores and enduring mental harassment. Her testimony directly linked her suffering and eventual suicide to the forced conversion attempts, making it a clear case of Predatory proselytisation. However, here since no direct link has been established between Lal Singh Dale's death and an attempt to forcibly convert him, it remains unclear whether this qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime. If further information emerges during the investigation that substantiates coercion, harassment, or pressure related to conversion, the case will be moved to the Hate Crime Tracker.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
1
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
