A padre from a local church has been arrested over an alleged case of forced religious conversion in Rampur. The accused padre, Polo Messiah, has been booked under sections of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, police said.

Sansar Singh, additional DCP, Rampur said the case was registered on the basis of a complaint by a local resident, Rajeev Yadav, against the accused, who will be sent to jail. “The local police station got the information that a priest, Polo Messiah, a resident of Civil Lines, was gathering people from other communities and attempting to convert them,” the DCP said. The police took prompt action and arrested him. “We are interrogating him and he will be sent to jail tomorrow,” said the police official.

On December 21, in a similar case, Sitapur Police filed an FIR against two persons in a case of alleged forced religious conversion in the state. Police had said that two Bharatiyas and four Brazil nationals had organised a programme in Shahbajpur village and allegedly lured people to change their religion. Earlier, in October, Uttar Pradesh Police lodged an FIR against nine people for alleged forced conversions to Christianity in Meerut.

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