Uttar Pradesh police arrested a pastor and his aides for trying to convert poor Hindus by offering things. They were trying to convert the family at their house when police caught them. Hindu activists allege that a school principal is using the pastor as a front to convert Hindus in the neighbourhood.
Times of India reported that Badlapur police arrested a pastor and his two women aides for unlawfully converting poor Hindu families at an event in Barbaspur village in Jaunpur district. Jaunpur ASP Shailendra Singh informed the media that Badlapur Inspector Santosh Pandey was told by Bajrang Dal activists that religious conversion was taking place in the neighbourhood during his routine checking drive.
Bajrang Dal district convenor Satya Shukla complained to the Inspector that a ceremony for conversion into Christianity was being organised at one Kanti Devi’s house in Ward no 5 of Bhaluwahi village. He alleged that poor Hindu families were being converted at the house by a pastor. The Inspector immediately visited the house and stopped the conversion ceremony.
He arrested pastor Sujit Kumar and his aides Shivani Pal and Tina Vishwakarma. Religious literature and other incriminating articles were seized from the house. It is alleged that a school principal is behind the conversion drive and that he is using pastor Sujit Kumar as a front by luring people with lucrative things like food, good education and the upkeep of their children.
Police booked the arrested under the Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act. When asked about the school principal they said that appropriate action would be taken on anyone involved in the conversion drive based on the outcome of the investigation.
A few weeks ago, a missionary school MD was booked for his involvement in a conversion attempt in the same neighborhood. Thomas Joseph, MD of St Xavier’s school in Badlapur was booked along with a pastor, Dinesh Maurya and others for converting poor Hindus by enticing them with false promises. In January 2023 alone 31 people were booked under the Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act in UP in seven seprate cases.
