On 16th October, the Prayagraj District Court dismissed the bail application of 13 individuals accused of orchestrating an organised Christian conversion racket in Baudai village under Phulpur Police Station area of district Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. The order was passed by the Additional District Judge. The court found that the evidence on record prima facie suggested the involvement of the accused in attempts to unlawfully convert poor Hindus to Christianity through inducement, monetary incentives, job offers at missionary schools, and religious propaganda.
The accused have been identified as Sonu Kumar, Pankaj Saroj, Sachin, Anil, Ram Milan, Sona Devi, Aarti Devi, Shivani Yadav, Anjula, Rekha Devi, Sangeeta Saroj, Shivani Saroj, and Harishiv. They were booked under Sections 191(2), 352, 351(3), 299, and 196(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, on the complaint of Shantanu Tiwari, co-convenor of Bajrang Dal, Phulpur, on 19th September.
Bajrang Dal leader exposed the racket
The case originated from a written complaint filed by Shantanu. According to the FIR, Shantanu had been receiving consistent reports that a group of individuals was conducting prayer meetings in Baudai village to convert Hindus to Christianity. On 19th September, he came to know about one such meeting happening in the village. He and his three fellow activists of Bajrang Dal went to the village to verify the information.
On reaching the spot, Shantanu found a gathering of men and women engaged in a Christian-style prayer meeting, allegedly organised by the individuals introducing themselves as missionaries. One of them, Munnilal (also among the accused), was calling himself a pastor. When questioned, some attendees reportedly revealed that the accused received money for each Hindu they converted to Christianity and were motivated by foreign funding and missionary organisations.
Conversion tactics and false promises
The FIR noted that the accused were telling Hindus that there was “nothing in their religion” and that they should discard idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses from their homes, replacing them with images of Jesus Christ. The accused allegedly promised them financial support and jobs in Christian missionary schools once they embraced Christianity.
Shantanu’s complaint further stated that when he and his associates objected to the ongoing activity, the accused verbally abused them and threatened to kill them if they returned. Following this confrontation, he immediately informed the Phulpur Police, which led to the registration of the case under stringent provisions of the anti-conversion law.
Court noted ‘prima facie evidence’ of organised conversion drive
In its order, the court rejected the bail plea and stated that the material on record indicated that the petitioners were actively participating in a planned effort to lure innocent and economically weaker Hindus into conversion by offering money and jobs. The judge noted that the crime was of a “serious nature” and that bail cannot be granted at this stage.
While rejecting the bail plea, the court also observed that there were consistent statements from witnesses, including complainant Shantanu Tiwari and others, affirming that the accused were conducting regular meetings to promote conversion under the guise of prayer gatherings. The court rejected the defence argument that no actual conversion had taken place, stating that the intention, inducement, and preparatory acts were clearly established in the investigation papers.
Investigation and custody status
As bail has been denied, all 13 accused will remain in judicial custody. They were sent to custody on 21st September. The police informed the court that the investigation in the matter is underway to trace other individuals potentially connected to the conversion network and to identify sources of funding.
Recently, Shantanu filed another complaint in a similar matter in Phulpur leading to arrest of three individuals involved in luring Hindus to convert to Christianity on 18th October. The police has filed an FIR in that matter and an investigation is underway.