On 16th February, a major row erupted in the Amleshwar police station area of Durg district in Chhattisgarh over alleged religious conversions happening at a house in the region. Hindu organisations protested outside the house where conversions were allegedly taking place under the guise of a Christian prayer meeting. Following the protest, 97 people who were hiding in the house were detained by the police. Later, after questioning, three individuals were booked on charges of religious conversion.
The police took action based on a complaint by Meenakshi Sharma, a resident of Ayodhya Nagar. In her complaint, she accused Dr Vinay Sahu, Krishnakant Kurre, and Dhal Singh Sahu of converting people to Christianity. All three are residents of Amleshwar, and Dr Vinay Sahu was the organiser of the conversion event under the guise of a prayer meeting at his home. The so-called prayer meeting took place at around 1 PM on 16th February.
Meenakshi stated in her complaint that apart from Dr Sahu, two other individuals were present at the prayer meeting and spoke against Hindu deities while glorifying Jesus Christ. She further alleged that the trio pressured the attendees to convert by offering inducements.
When news of the alleged conversion event spread in the area, activists from Hindu organisations gathered in large numbers and surrounded the house to stage a protest. They raised slogans and accused the organisers of conducting conversions under the guise of a prayer meeting.
The activists of Bajrang Dal also recited the Hanuman Chalisa as part of the protest outside the house. Those who had come to attend the meeting remained locked inside until the police arrived and detained them.
When the police arrived, the protesters informed them that innocent and poor individuals were being manipulated into converting to Christianity.
Durg Superintendent of Police (SP) Jitendra Shukla was informed about the situation, prompting him to deploy additional police forces in the area to maintain law and order. Despite repeated requests from the police, the protesters refused to leave. Senior police officials had to step in to urge the Hindu groups to disperse. The Hindu groups warned of intensifying the protests if strict action was not taken against the accused.
Based on Meenakshi’s complaint, the police detained 97 individuals from the prayer gathering for questioning. The police found that Dr Sahu and his associates, Krishnakant Kurre and Dhal Singh Sahu, were allegedly coercing people into converting to Christianity. Subsequently, an FIR was registered under Sections 299 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other relevant acts, and the trio were placed in judicial custody.
Speaking to the media on 17th February, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abhishek Jha said that a complaint was received about a religious conversion event taking place under the guise of a prayer meeting. The police reached the house where the event was being held and brought the situation under control. Several people, including the pastor, were arrested by the police. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
