Raipur: Police on June 10 detained and later booked two people for allegedly luring villagers into changing their religion in Balrampur district of Chhattisgarh.
One of the arrested accused has been identified as Pastor Sandeep Bhagat (30), a resident of Mahuwapara of Ambikapur of neighboring Surguja district. The other accused Parsu Bek (48) is a resident of Balrampur district itself.
They were arrested and booked subsequently under provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act after police received a written complaint related to promotion of illegal conversion.
According to the details, a Prarthana Sabha (religious praying ceremony) was called at Chintmiti Para of Baidhi village under the jurisdiction of Rajpur police station of Balrampur on Tuesday evening. The ceremony was attendant by around 200 local villagers where Pastor Sandeep Bhagat allegedly provoked the attendees to change their religion and embrace Christianity.
Bhagat reportedly tried luring the villagers, stating that embracing Christianity will benefit them in many ways. He promised that the same will cure their illnesses and remove their financial woes. He further lured them with medical facilities and free education, citing that the society will take care of all these facilities.
A team of officials however arrived at the spot after receiving information about the gathering and detained Bhagat along with his associate Parsu Bek. They were subsequently booked and produced before a court from where they were sent to judicial remand.
The incident highlights the growing menace of conversion in remote localities of the state where similar activities are becoming more of a regular affair.
Hindu activists alleged that such religious ceremonies (Prarthana or the Changai Sabha) are often aimed at luring the locals into changing their religion through means of inducement.
Notably in a similar incident reported from Durg, police on May 29 detained a number of individuals for allegedly promoting illegal conversion in Raipur Naka colony of Durg.
The action against accused was initiated after local Hindu activist complaint about a religious gathering being organised at a private house, aimed allegedly at converting people through inducement.
According to details, a Changai Sabha was called at the house of Madhu Tandi in Raipur Naka colony under the jurisdiction of Padmanabhpur police station where a pastor and his associates were reportedly enticing local Hindus for conversion.
Upon receiving information about the gathering, members of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) reached near the premise and caught the accused red handed.
The VHP members then staged a strong protest and subsequently informed the police who later detained the said pastor and others by arriving on the spot.
It must be noted that many pockets of the state has been long witnessing rampant conversion activities which in turn has attracted strong protest from local Hindus for a stringent anti-conversion law.
Illegal conversion activities and growing discomfort over customary practices in tribal (Janjati) areas of the state have also led to scuffles between Janjati community and the newly converts on occasions, triggering mass protest by members of Janjati community.
