On Tuesday (2nd December), a case involving illegal religious conversion transpired in Sonbhadra of Uttar Pradesh. The police initiated legal proceedings against a couple for attempting to convert individuals to Christianity by offering monetary incentives, leading to the husband’s arrest and the issuance of a challan. The accused have been identified as Pastor Ramu Prajapati and his wife Rinki who arranged “healing and deliverance service” meetings to convert people.
The authorities also seized a mobile phone, a tablet, a Bible, a cross and materials associated with their unlawful actions, from the scene. Shivam Singh Rajput, the district minister of BJP Yuva Morcha, submitted a complaint to the police stating that he had been informed by locals that the perpetrators were attempting to convert others by gathering them at a residence in ward number 16 of Babhanauli Mohalla, under the jurisdiction of Robertsganj police station.
The couple from the Pagiya hamlet of Karma police station area, have been utilising Babhanauli Mohalla as their operational base for religious conversions for several months. A similar gathering was underway featuring the accused pair alongside around a dozen attendees when members of Bajrang Dal the BJP Yuva Morcha became aware of the issue. They reached at the location and staged a protest.
They also notified the authorities after which a police team proceeded to the village and took all the people present during the meeting to the police station for interrogation. The accused offered financial benefits to lure people and used chanting, poetry as well as religious literature to convert them.
Shivam Singh Rajput stated that the accused reacted with anger when confronted, using women as a front and attempting to intimidate those who intervened. Circle Officer City Randhir Mishra reported that an investigation was carried out after the complaint was received, which substantiated the allegations. As a result, a case was registered and the husband was taken into custody while a search is ongoing for his absconding spouse.