A fresh controversy has erupted in Ghaziabad’s Vijay Nagar area, where a pastor from Kerala was accused of carrying out religious conversions under the guise of prayer gatherings. The incident, which took place on the evening of June 15 in Christian Nagar, led to high drama as members of Hindu organisations confronted the alleged perpetrators.
According to eyewitnesses and the complaint filed, the pastor, identified as Vinod Kunj Mohan, was found conducting a prayer session at the home of Premchand Jatav, a resident of Rahul Vihar in Crossing Republic. The participants were largely from Scheduled Caste backgrounds. Hindu activists accused the pastor of attempting to convert people by offering inducements, including food and ration kits, under the pretext of spiritual gatherings held every Sunday.
गाजियाबाद, यूपी में हिंदूवादी संगठनों ने पुलिस साथ लेकर एक घर पर छापा मारा। ईसाई धर्म की प्रेयर हो रही थी। धर्मांतरण का आरोप लगाकर हिंदू संगठनों ने हंगामा खड़ा कर दिया। पुलिस एक अपराधी की तरह फादर को घसीटकर ले गई। स्थानीय लोग कहते रहे कि शिकायतकर्ता को बुलाओ या शिकायत दिखाओ। pic.twitter.com/2njdyecquH
— Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP) June 15, 2025
FIR Details
An FIR numbered 199/2025 was registered at the Crossing Republic Police Station based on a written complaint submitted by Prabal Gupta, a local resident of Krishna Nagar Bagu Gazi. According to the FIR, Gupta was informed by his associates around 7:00 PM on June 15 that an unauthorised religious gathering was underway at Premchand’s residence. The complaint reads:
“In the house of Premchand, Christian preacher Father Vinod Kunj Mohan, son of Joseph Katta D.L., resident of 7/11 Sai-3 Rajendra Nagar, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad and originally from Valley Neelam, Kottayam district, Kerala, was converting Scheduled Caste and other people to Christianity by luring them with promises. When I reached there with my companions, I found a religious conversion program underway. When we opposed it, the two accused abused, threatened, and assaulted us.”
The police arrived at the scene and detained both the pastor and Premchand. They were booked under Sections 115(2), 351(3), 352 of the IPC and Sections 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
Official Response
ACP Priya Shripal commented on the matter, saying, “From the surface, it appeared the individuals were merely offering prayers at home.” However, given the formal complaint and the recurring nature of such prayer meetings, police launched a thorough investigation.
उक्त प्रकरण के संबंध में कृत पुलिस कार्यवाही से सम्बन्धित, सहायक पुलिस आयुक्त वेव सिटी की वीडियो बाइट। pic.twitter.com/cIAP88Xinr
— DCP RURAL COMMISSIONERATE GHAZIABAD (@DCPRuralGZB) June 15, 2025
Initial police findings confirmed that Premchand Jatav had embraced Christianity several years ago, and had been hosting weekly Sunday meetings led by Pastor Vinod. During these sessions, locals, including women and children, were allegedly lured with inducements and persuaded to convert.
Weekly gatherings, crypto conversions
As per the complaint and testimonies collected by the police, Pastor Vinod has been residing in Sahibabad for several years and has conducted these religious meetings routinely at Premchand’s home. Locals were told that converting to Christianity would help improve their financial situation. It is alleged that the pastor preached using references from the Bible to mentally prepare the attendees for conversion.
This model of operation, using converted Dalits as intermediaries to attract their own community, is increasingly being referred to as “crypto conversions”. Individuals like Premchand, who were previously Hindu and belong to Scheduled Castes, are converting to Christianity but continue to retain benefits reserved for SC communities, despite the constitutional and judicial position that converted Christians are not eligible for SC quotas.
Court precedents against converted Christians claiming SC status
This incident has reignited the debate over benefits being misused by crypto-converts. As per the Scheduled Caste Order of 1950, reservation under SC category is meant only for Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists, not for Christians or Muslims.
Reinforcing this, a landmark judgment was delivered by the Andhra Pradesh High Court on May 1, 2025. Justice N. Harinath ruled that a person who converts to Christianity ceases to be a member of the Scheduled Caste community and therefore cannot register a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The ruling was in response to a complaint by Pastor Chintada Anand Paul from Kothapalem, Guntur district, who alleged assault and caste-based abuse during a prayer service. The court dismissed the complaint, observing:
“The complainant ceased to be a member of the Scheduled Caste community the day he embraced Christianity. The caste system is alien to Christianity. Having converted, he cannot claim protections under the SC/ST Act.”
This judgment further strengthens the argument that crypto-converts must not be allowed to claim double benefits, continuing to avail of reservations while engaging in active conversion efforts.
What lies ahead
While Pastor Vinod and Premchand Jatav remain in custody, police are interrogating them to uncover the extent of the network. Authorities are also probing whether more people are involved in this alleged conversion racket.
The incident has reignited calls for stricter rules against illegal conversions and the urgent need to cancel SC benefits for crypto-converts. With such cases becoming increasingly frequent, many argue that unless firm action is taken on the ground, the misuse of constitutional provisions will continue.
The question now remains, how long will the local administration and agencies take to act decisively, especially when the judiciary has repeatedly clarified the constitutional position on religious conversions and SC status?
As the probe progresses, this case is likely to serve as a litmus test for Uttar Pradesh’s implementation of anti-conversion laws and its resolve to curb religious exploitation masked as humanitarian aid.
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