Hindus lured and converted to Christianity under the guise of prayer meetings
Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India 
15 March, 2025
Case Summary
In Sherpur village, located on the Haridwar-Laksar Road, Uttarakhand, Hindus were enticed with monetary incentives and pressured to convert to Christianity. The conversions were carried out under the guise of prayer meetings by a Christian man and woman from Dehradun. According to Hindustan Samachar, the accused were luring poor Hindus into conversion under the pretext of prayer meetings. However, Hindu organisations, including Bajrang Dal, arrived at the scene and thwarted their efforts. They alerted the police, who apprehended the Christian man and woman. Hindu organisation workers recovered a large number of Christian religious books and envelopes filled with cash from the accused. District Minister of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Jivendra Tomar, stated that Christian missionaries were converting Hindus under the pretext of prayer meetings held at a house on the outskirts of Sherpur village. He said that Hindu families were being pressured to convert by being offered money and assistance in setting up businesses. Tomar further stated that a woman named Gayatri, affiliated with the Christian missionary from Dehradun, was luring villagers into converting to Christianity. A formal police complaint was filed against the accused, demanding legal action. The Ferupur outpost in charge, Sudhanshu Kaushik, confirmed that a prayer meeting was organised by the two accused in Sherpur village. Bajrang Dal members said that religious conversions were taking place during the prayer gathering. The accused were arrested by the police. Following interrogation, they admitted to their actions and submitted a written apology, pledging not to repeat the act in future.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of- Predatory proselytisation. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Conversion/attempts to convert by 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. In this particular case, the Christian evangelists were attempting to exploit a specific vulnerability of the victims who were, in all likelihood, economically backward. The missionaries exploited the poor victims by offering them money and promising them cures for their ailments - cures that they either could not afford or for incurable diseases. 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 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
