A Christian conversion gang has been busted in the Bilkisganj Police Station area of the Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh. The conversion gang had been carrying out mass conversions among the tribal population of the area for the past few months. The activities of the conversion came to light on 9th December, when some villagers informed the police about them. Six individuals have been arrested by the police in connection with the illegal conversion activities.
As per reports, some individuals from Beel Pati and Khajuri villages of the Rehti Police Station area of the district had been organising Christian prayer meetings in the tribal areas. They were brainwashing and luring the villagers with money and job promises to convince them to convert to Christianity. They reportedly offered ₹1 lakh each and a job to villagers for converting.
A written complaint in this regard was submitted by Lakhan Barela, Sitaram Barela, Ramesh Barela, and Raisingh Barela of Veerpur village to the police. The complaint stated that for the past three months, the accused had been continuously visiting their village and pressuring the villagers to convert to Christianity. It further stated that Christian prayers were being held at the house of the accused, Rem Singh, at night, where villagers were being lured to abandon their religion by showing them pictures of Jesus Christ, the Bible, and offering them money. However, on the night of December 9th, when the accused organised a prayer again and forced the villagers to convert, the villagers mustered the courage to inform the police.
On receiving information about the conversion activity, a team of police led by Bilkisganj Police Station in-charge Sandeep Meena reached the spot and raided the prayer meeting. Members of local Hindu organisations also arrived at the scene in support of the villagers. Police seized copies of the Bible, religious literature, and materials related to religious conversion from the scene. All the individuals present at the location were detained for questioning.
The six individuals arrested by the police have been identified as Mukesh Kapasia Barela (Khajuri Police Station, Rehti), Lakhan Bhikam Singh Barela (Bhilpati, Rehti Police Station), Sitaram Kapasia Barela (Khajuri, Rehti Police Station), Rem Singh Barkha Barela (Veerpur, Sehore), Kushma Barela, wife of Lakhan Barela (Bhilpati, Rehti Police Station), and Bina Barela, wife of Mukesh Barela (Khajuri, Rehti Police Station). A case has been registered under Section 3/5 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021. An investigation into the case is underway.