Another alarming case of alleged mass religious conversion has surfaced in Uttar Pradesh, this time from Rampur district, where a covert “Changai Sabha” (healing prayer meeting) turned out to be a full-fledged campaign to convert poor Hindus to Christianity.
Police have arrested four individuals, including two women, for attempting to induce conversion in violation of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. Among the accused, three hail from Delhi and were reportedly brought in by a local woman to target members of the Hindu community through inducements such as employment, education, and healing promises.
The case has stirred strong reactions from Hindu organisations, especially the Bajrang Dal, whose district co-convenor Avinash Patel lodged the formal complaint.
The event took place at Ichharam ki Milak village, falling under the jurisdiction of Civil Lines Police Station, Rampur. According to the FIR (No. 237/2025), the suspects were caught red-handed during the act of conversion, with copies of the Bible and Christian literature recovered from the scene.
Local Woman’s House Turns Into a Conversion Hub
As per details accessed by Organiser, the accused had set up a full-scale prayer event at the house of Dharmvati, a local woman from Ichharam ki Milak, who is also among those arrested. Her residence was turned into a makeshift church-like gathering spot, where dozens of Hindu men, women, and children were assembled. These individuals were told to forsake Hindu gods and accept Christianity as a superior and more peaceful faith.
“Many poor boys and girls and women of Hindu community were present at Dharmvati’s house. They were being taught Bible verses and made to sing Christian hymns. The accused told them that Christianity was the best religion and offered them free education, job assurances, and healing for illnesses,” stated Avinash Patel in his police complaint.
The three other accused, identified as Vivek, son of late Devdutt, resident of Sewak Park, Dwarka Mor, Uttam Nagar, South West Delhi, Pawan Kumar, son of Rakesh, from Dayanand Colony, Lajpat Nagar, South-East Delhi, and Mamta, wife of Abhay Kumar, resident of Kumhar Colony, Tahirpur, Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, South-East Delhi, were reportedly invited by Dharmvati to spearhead the proselytisation campaign.
The complainant alleged that such meetings had occurred multiple times in the past, and that both the hosts and the visiting missionaries were converted Christians themselves who were now involved in converting others.
Police Intervention and Legal Action
The situation escalated after Hindu leaders confronted the organisers, who reportedly became aggressive. The police were called in to defuse the situation and arrived promptly at the scene.
“We received a complaint regarding unlawful religious conversion. An FIR has been registered, and four individuals have been booked under Sections 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act,” said Sanjeev Kumar, Station House Officer of Civil Lines Police Station.
प्रलोभन देकर धर्म परिवर्तन कराने के अभियोग में वांछित 04 नफर अभियुक्त/अभियुक्ता को #एसपी_रामपुर के निर्देशन में थाना सिविल लाइन #RampurPolice द्वारा गिरफ्तार किये जाने संबंध में #अपर_पुलिस_अधीक्षक, रामपुर द्वारा दी गयी बाईट ।
#UPPolice https://t.co/0moKVU6KLf pic.twitter.com/Z2Z7ylzFZr— Rampur police (@rampurpolice) June 25, 2025
According to the police, the gathering was being conducted with arrangements for late-night events, including lighting via generators. The intent, police said, was clearly to carry out mass conversion disguised as a prayer meeting.
Authorities have confirmed that all relevant digital and physical evidence, including the Bibles and other materials, have been seized.
Similar ‘Yeshu Darbar’ Disrupted in Prayagraj
Just two days prior to the Rampur incident, Organiser reported a similar case from Nevada Bazaar, under Bahariya Police Station in Prayagraj, where a recurring “Yeshu Darbar” gathering turned out to be yet another front for religious conversion targeting vulnerable Hindus.
There too, local BJP and VHP workers intervened following repeated complaints that Hindus were being lured through promises of miraculous healing, economic relief, and jobs. Videos from the gathering revealed instances of blasphemy against Hindu deities and pressure tactics used to force conversions.
“They told me to stop worshipping Hindu gods, stop going to temples, and remove my ‘kalawa’ (sacred thread) if I wanted to improve my life. They mocked our gods and asked us to replace idols with photos of Jesus,” said one emotionally shaken local woman in a video shown to Organiser.
‘Conversion Factories’ Targeting the Poor
Local BJP leader and former Zila Panchayat member Abhishek Yadav described the event as an organised attempt to exploit poverty and religious ignorance.
“This is not a spiritual meeting; it’s a conversion factory,” said Yadav. “People are promised jobs, miracle cures, and peace in exchange for abandoning their religion. This is a direct assault on Sanatan Dharma.”
The Prayagraj event was busted after the Gram Pradhan of Tulapur village, Munisha Nand Mishra, contacted BJP and VHP leaders. The police, led by SHO Mahesh Kumar Mishra, arrived promptly to contain the situation and detain the organisers.
Among those arrested in Prayagraj were Anil Kumar Bind, Krishna Kumar Bind, and Sanjay Vishwakarma, who were actively preaching during the event. FIR No. 117/2025 was filed, citing violations of Sections 3 and 5(1) of the Freedom of Religion Act, along with Sections 352 and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
One of the complainants, Vibhuti Narayan Tripathi, a concerned local who attended the gathering after hearing complaints, documented the coercive nature of the event in his statement: “They said Hinduism is worthless and that Jesus alone could give miracles and money. They claimed foreign funding backs their conversion work. When I objected, they abused and threatened me,” Tripathi said in his FIR.
Widespread Pattern and Religious Manipulation
Both incidents, Rampur and Prayagraj, are part of a larger network of orchestrated conversion campaigns exploiting the marginalised in the name of healing and prosperity. Both used well-rehearsed religious scripts, inducements, and sometimes outright threats to coerce vulnerable Hindus into giving up their ancestral faith.
In Rampur, authorities are probing further into whether the accused have ties with larger missionary networks operating from Delhi and beyond. Officials also suspect that foreign-funded Christian NGOs may be providing logistical and financial support to such covert proselytisation operations.
The Legal Framework and Its Impact
The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, passed in 2021 and later strengthened, criminalises conversion by force, fraud, allurement, or marriage. It requires prior approval from the District Magistrate before any religious conversion. Those violating the law may face imprisonment from one to five years, or even more in the case of mass conversions.
Despite the law, conversion activities continue in pockets, especially in economically vulnerable regions. Experts and activists argue that strict implementation and public awareness are key to preventing such violations of religious freedom.
The recent incidents in Rampur and Prayagraj reflect a growing and deeply worrying pattern, the systematic targeting of poor Hindu families for conversion under the guise of prayer meetings, spiritual healing, or charitable work. While the action by the police and local Hindu leaders has prevented what could have been large-scale religious exploitation, these events highlight the need for vigilance, legal and social reform.
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