Acting against forced religious conversions, the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested an Odisha-based missionary couple on Sunday, January 26, 2025. The accused, identified as Samrendra Singh and his wife Sushmita Singh, were taken into custody for reportedly attempting to convert Hindus to Christianity in the Bindki Kotwali area of Fatehpur district.
The arrest was made following inputs provided by members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, who claimed that the couple had been conducting conversion activities in Chhota Lalpur village. The incident took place around 1 pm on Sunday when the couple was reportedly persuading local tribals to embrace Christianity through material incentives.
According to sources, the couple had arrived in the village just 10 days prior and had rented a premise from a local resident, Ajay Kumar, in Paigabar Muhalla for Rs 6,500 per month. The police were informed that their primary objective for relocating to the village was to carry out religious conversions under the guise of social welfare activities.
Based on a formal complaint by VHP city president Rajesh Singh and Bajrang Dal city convenor Vimlesh Kumar Bajpai, Kotwali in-charge Inspector Sunil Kumar Singh led a police team to the location. During the investigation, it was discovered that the accused couple hailed from Odisha and had been influencing impoverished tribals with financial aid, food supplies, and even marriage prospects.
The police report revealed that the accused were conducting so-called ‘healing camps,’ where they promised villagers relief from diseases and financial hardships. They were backed by unidentified sources who provided financial assistance for their conversion activities.
Authorities also recovered several incriminating materials, including religious pamphlets and items used in conversion rituals. The police registered a case under the anti-conversion laws and took the accused into immediate custody. One more suspect, identified as Om Prakash, was also named in the FIR for assisting the couple, but he managed to flee the scene before police could apprehend him.
As of now, the police are actively pursuing Om Prakash and attempting to trace the financial sources that supported the couple’s activities. The arrested duo is also being interrogated regarding their connections to a church in Kanpur, which is believed to have played a role in the conversion efforts.
Several prominent activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, including Rajesh Singh, Arvind Bhartiya, Sajal Sharma, Abhay Soni, Aniket Gupta, Harshit Dwivedi, Akhilesh Yadav, Anil Dubey, and Piyush Pandey, were present at the scene during the operation.
Police officials have assured that strict constitutional action will be taken against those involved in illegal religious conversions, emphasising the state’s commitment to preventing coercive practices that exploit vulnerable communities.
