Authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur have revealed an alarming instance of unlawful medical practice combined with reported attempts at religious conversion, another in a series of cases that raise new questions about the activities of religious conversion rackets among vulnerable groups in Madhya Pradesh.
The most recent episode came from the Ranjhi police station locality, where a man named Dashrath Prasad Bairagi was arrested for impersonating a doctor with no official medical degree and claimed to have used his position to incite religious conversion among unsuspecting patients.
Fake Doctor, Religious Booklets, and Conversion Allegations
After several complaints from locals and social activists, the Health Department, along with police authorities, raided Bairagi’s small clinic earlier this week. During the raid, it was found that Bairagi, having no valid medical degree, was prescribing allopathic medicines to patients and operating an illegal clinic. He was arrested on the spot, and the clinic has now been sealed.
But the revelations went beyond the illegal practice of medicine. Activists from Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have indicted Bairagi with circulating religious literature among patients, which purportedly carried insulting comments against Hindu gods like Bhagwan Shiva and Maa Durga. They also alleged that Bairagi was trying to make patients give up their faith and convert to Christianity in the guise of a patient treated with medicines.
As per local VHP coordinator Sumit Singh Thakur, Bairagi had been active in the region for a few years, targeting socially and economically weaker segments. “He sold religious pamphlets for 20 rupees, which not only had objectionable matter regarding Hindu gods but also tried to psychologically dominate individuals into abandoning their religion,” Thakur accused.
He also accused Bairagi of being a follower of Kabir Panth but, in fact, promoting Christian conversion.
Police Action and Continued Investigation
Confirming the news, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Anand Kaladgi said that Bairagi has been charged with practising medicine without qualification and distributing unauthorised medicines. The police have also apprised the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) and the Drug Inspector of the seized medicines.
“Both illegal medical practice as well as conversion complaints are being investigated. No formal complaint on religious conversion is received so far, but if any complaint or evidence is brought to us, stringent action will be initiated under the Religious Freedom Act,” assured ASP Kaladgi.
Earlier Case Highlights Organised Conversion Efforts
The arrest of Bairagi follows on the heels of a recent such astounding case of forced religious conversion in the same Ranjhi locality. There, a Hindu woman who was ill, Neetu Raikwar, registered an FIR against four people for trying to coax her into conversion to Christianity by giving her assurance of speedy relief from her sickness and also monetary help.
The four accused persons, who are Manoj Pille, Vinod, Rajiv, and another unidentified person, allegedly approached Neetu, a resident of Parshuram Basti, on February 2. Presenting themselves as members of the Christian community, they reportedly assured her that her health and financial conditions would improve if she abandoned her Hindu religion and converted to Christianity. They even gave her Rs 2,000 as “goodwill money” and told her to buy some things needed for praying in Christianity.
She was at first swayed by their words. Her husband, however, did not want any religious conversion, and this created tension between them. The group is said to have reappeared on February 16, with food supplies and demanded that she invite her neighbours home for a meal. While the friends were present, the accused is said to have removed Hindu religious images and statues from Neetu’s residence and installed a picture of Jesus Christ and a crucifix instead. They conducted Christian prayers and professed that all the persons present had now become Christians.
Threats, Coercion, and Police Action
When Neetu and her husband protested, the accused purportedly used threats and intimidation. Harassed and coerced, Neetu lodged a complaint with the Ranjhi Police. Pursuant to her complaint, the police lodged a case under the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act, which prohibits fraudulent or forced conversions.
Police have ensured that inquiries continue and that the alleged perpetrator will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the evidence gathered. Organiser has covered this report in detail, can be read here.
Similar Case from Dewas
In another shocking case, a systematic effort to convert tribal minors to Christianity has been unearthed from Chaubara Jagir village of Sonkutch Tehsil, Dewas district. Under the cover of a coaching centre for poor tribal kids, the suspected racket enticed families with money, education, and worldly comforts while fueling anti-Hindu feelings.
The incident was unearthed on June 20, 2025, when local dweller and Hindu activist Gajraj Singh Sendhav lodged a proper report at Sonkutch Police Station. On the basis of his complaint, an FIR (No. 409/2025) was registered, prompting immediate police action.
Following the FIR, Gajraj along with other villagers had gone for a purported religious gathering at the residence of a villager, Bhagnu Jiyaji. A few outsiders, one Manju, Kiran, Mahida, Sachin, and Mithun, were carrying out the session. Posters of Jesus Christ were put up on the wall, and the group started sermonising, saying that “only Jesus can wish-fulfil” while belittling Hindu gods like Lord Ram, Hanuman, and Bholenath.
The group reportedly informed the assembly, “If Ram was not able to save his wife Sita, how will he save you? Leave the photographs of your gods behind and embrace Jesus. Your life will transform.” To entice the families further, Rs 50,000 in cash, free schooling, and admissions in well-known schools were promised, targeting impoverished tribal families in particular.
The police immediately arrested the accused and booked them under Sections 3 and 5 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, against conducting conversion by allurement, misrepresentation, or force, especially of women, children, and Scheduled Tribes.
Footage at the location showed that the “coaching class” was a guise for indoctrination, featuring posters that advised kids to “fear Jehovah” and become Jesus’ savior.
Activists term such cases as part of a growing trend in tribal areas such as Dewas and Jhabua, where poverty and illiteracy are being used by organised missionary networks to modify religious identities under the umbrella of welfare and education.
Pattern of Targeting Vulnerable Communities
These cases are not singular in nature but reflect a larger trend of religious conversion activities focused on economically and socially marginalised groups, particularly Scheduled Caste (SC) and tribal populations, in semi-urban and tribal-majority districts of Madhya Pradesh. Social leaders and experts have raised concerns for a long time about syndicates of organised conversions masquerading as social work, health care, or education.
Such groups take advantage of poor families beset with disease or financial difficulties, promising healing, prosperity, or relief through religious conversion, as per VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders.
Strengthened Legal Framework in Madhya Pradesh
To meet these concerns, the government of Madhya Pradesh has acted remarkably to strengthen legal provisions against fraudulent and forced conversions. The Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act was amended and strengthened in 2021 to provide stricter punishment for any conversion obtained through inducement, coercion, or allurements.
Some of the major provisions of the Act are:
Any conversion that is not notified in advance to a competent magistrate is illegal.
Conversions gained through a promise of improved health, wealth, education, marriage, or employment are illegal.
Violators face stringent legal penalties, including imprisonment and fines.
Authorities have repeatedly urged residents to remain vigilant against such exploitation and to report any suspicious activities to the police.
Leaders Demand Stronger Action
Social organisations, particularly VHP and Bajrang Dal, have demanded that the administration take firm action to dismantle such conversion rackets and protect vulnerable communities from exploitation.
“We are not only speaking of religious emotions here. Handling people without a license is dangerous anyway, but employing that as a weapon of religious conversion is more threatening,” said VHP’s Sumit Singh Thakur. “The administration needs to inquire into these incidents in-depth and take the toughest legal action against people who are taking advantage of people’s desperation.”
At the same time, police and authorities have urged citizens to get treatment only from qualified medical professionals and to avoid falling into the trap of people who promise healing or money in return for religious conversion.
With a series of cases reported in the past few months, the focus is again on the operations of religious conversion syndicates and the urgency for increased vigilance and stringent enforcement of legal protections to shield vulnerable segments of society in Madhya Pradesh.
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