On 26th January, Lakhimpur Kheri police arrested two individuals, Baburam and Pastor Pramod Kumar Balmiki, over allegations of forced religious conversions in Bejham village under Neemgaon police jurisdiction. An FIR has been registered under sections 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021.
Details of the incident
As per media reports, Hindu organisations, including Vishva Hindu Parishad, got information about forced religious conversions happening in Bejham village. The complainant in the matter has accused the two missionaries of luring villagers into conversions with false promises, including healing powers, rice, and magical water. According to the complaint, the accused coerced individuals to abandon Hindu practices by removing their tilak and idols of deities from their homes.
On the day of the incident, Baburam, one of the accused, invited several villagers to his house under the pretext of providing special medicines for their ailments. Pastor Pramod Kumar Balmiki reportedly joined him in pressuring attendees to embrace Christianity.
Content of the FIR
OpIndia accessed a copy of the FIR filed in the matter. The complainants stated that Baburam invited them to his residence that morning, claiming he possessed medicine that could cure their ailments. He also allegedly promised a sack of rice every month as an incentive to visit.
When the complainants arrived at his house at around 2 PM, they were reportedly instructed by Baburam to remove the religious tilak from their foreheads. Pastor Pramod Kumar Balmiki, the other accused, further pressured them to discard all idols of Hindu deities from their homes. It has been alleged in the complaint that the accused coerced them to convert to Christianity, offering water bottles, rice, and oil to those who complied. The complainants stated that these actions were part of a deliberate and forceful attempt to convert them and others present at the location.
OpIndia spoke to one of the complainant, Aman Rastogi. He said, “On the evening of 25th January, a group of us friends were sitting around a bonfire. One of us was suffering from some health issues. The accused, Baburam, told us that every Sunday a prayer meeting is held where they provide water claimed to have healing powers. When we went there, it turned out to be a Christian gathering. We were offered this “water” to drink, which they said would cure the ailment. One of us, who was wearing a tilak on his forehead, was asked to remove it. The pastor present at the scene instructed us to remove Hindu idols from our homes, claiming that only then would Yeshu come to our house and resolve our problems. We immediately approached the police and filed a complaint against them.” Aman and his friends who were asked to attend the meeting are members of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). Notably, RSS and other Hindu organisations have been raising voice against such conversion meetings.
संदर्भित प्रकरण में थाना नीमगांव पुलिस द्वारा प्राप्त तहरीर के आधार पर सुसंगत धाराओं में अभियोग पंजीकृत किया गया है। अग्रिम विधिक कार्यवाही प्रचलित है।
— KHERI POLICE (@kheripolice) January 26, 2025
Replying to one of the complainants in the case on the social media platform X, the police stated, “In the referenced case, an FIR has been registered under the relevant sections based on the complaint received by Neemgaon Police Station. Further legal proceedings are underway.”
Police action
The police swiftly acted on the complaint and raided the location under the leadership of Neemgaon Station Officer (SO) Sunita Kushwaha. The police found dozens of people present at the house. Initial investigation in the matter confirmed that economic inducements were being used for conversions. Baburam and Pastor Pramod Kumar Balmiki were taken into custody, and further investigations are underway.
