Section 163 of the BNSS (earlier section 144, CrPC) was imposed in Ward No. 10, Jasa Tola, Revelganj of the Saran district in Bihar on Wednesday (8th April) after some outraged locals vandalised an under-construction church that was being built in the guise of a school in the Dalit village. The locals have accused Christian missionaries of enticing them to convert to Christianity. A complaint has been filed by the missionary organisation.
On receiving the information of the vandalism in the church, the police reached the spot and took stock of the situation. Saran SSP Kumar Ashish said in a press release issued on 9th April, that an electric meter and two centering planks were removed from the church building during the vandalism. An FIR has been lodged by the police based on the complaint of the missionary organisation. One person has reportedly been detained.
SSP Kumar Ashish said that a video went viral on social media on 8th April, allegedly showing Christian conversion in the area. A joint investigation was launched by the police station in charge and the concerned circle officer based on a complaint from villagers. The police said that they did not find any evidence of religious conversion; however, considering the seriousness of the matter, further investigation is being carried out by the Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Sadar-1.
Villagers allege forced conversion by Christian missionaries
As per reports, the construction of the church has been going on for two years in the village. A local, Ramnath Manjhi, had filed a complaint against the construction of the church on 3rd April. Manjhi said that a person named Jyoti Prakash, a resident of Jahanabad, bought a piece of land in the area on the pretext of building a school. The locals also contributed to the construction work, believing that it was school. However, they were taken by surprise when they saw a church board placed in front of the building later on. Soon, the Christian missionaries visiting the church began luring the villagers to convert to Christianity. This did not go down well with the villagers, who are now opposing the construction of the church in the area.
Missionaries gave ₹1000, holy water to locals, and asked them to chant Hallelujah
Ramnath Manjhi said that gradually, missionaries started visiting the under-construction building and organising prayers every Sunday. Anyone who participated in the church prayer was given one thousand rupees in an envelope. They have been luring people by offering them money and ration.
Bihar News : छपरा में चर्च निर्माण का भारी विरोध…लालच देकर धर्म परिवर्तन का आरोप #Bihar #BiharNews pic.twitter.com/Sg51CLD2OD
— Zee Bihar Jharkhand (@ZeeBiharNews) April 8, 2025
The missionaries offered the locals that they would provide expenses for their daughters’ marriages and children’s education if they converted to Christianity. They also started forbidding the locals from celebrating Hindu festivals like Chhat Puja. Locals said that the missionaries gave them bottles filled with special water and advised them to drink it for 20 days. They also asked locals to chant ‘Hallelujah’. “They used to say that you people should stop worshipping your God and worship Jesus Christ, then there will be no sorrow, ” said a local, Vidyavati Devi.
