Uttar Pradesh: 5 arrested as police bust organised conversion racket, accused converted 70 people and prepared list of 500 more

Seventy persons were converted by the accused.
The accused converted 70 people. (Source: OpIndia Hindi)

Authorities have dismantled a religious conversion operation in the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh. Five individuals associated with the gang have been apprehended, including the primary suspect Sahayam Daniel Raj. They are reported have converted between 50 and 70 individuals. Additionally, the gang was in the process of preparing around 500 more individuals to embrace Christianity.

Conversion network from Tamil Nadu to Mirzapur

According to media reports, the leader of the gang, Daniel Raj, resides in Tamil Nadu. He was designated as the field in-charge for the Ahraura and Naugarh regions of Mirzapur by the Indian Missionaries Society (Tamil Nadu). His activities in the area commenced in July 2025. A total of eight missionaries collaborated with him, visiting various villages.

Daniel and his team targeted impoverished, illiterate, vulnerable, and tribal families in the villages. They attracted individuals to convert to Christianity by offering healing services (prayer-based healing), sewing and embroidery classes as well as financial aid. All of these efforts were carried out discreetly.

The case commenced with a complaint lodged by a young victim named Indrasan. As the police initiated their investigation, numerous shocking details emerged. Superintendent of Police Somen Burma reported that Daniel Raj and Mithilesh Kumar Kol were nabbed during the raid. Additionally, Omprakash, Paras Sonkar and Thomas Ramsevak were also taken into custody.

The investigation disclosed that this conspiracy was not spontaneous. The gang had initially conducted a survey of the area in 2012. They returned in 2023 and commenced the formal conversion activities in 2024. The preachers received both monetary compensation and salaries for their work.

Superintendent of Police Somen Burma disclosed that the gang had initiated contact with the 500 individuals chosen by them. Some were invited to the meeting while others had been slated to be included in the subsequent plan.

The police are currently probing the origins of the funding for this operation. The gang’s accounts are under scrutiny. Preliminary inquiry have indicated that they were obtaining financial support from external elements. Authorities suggest that additional arrests could occur in the near future. The inquiry is being conducted with utmost seriousness.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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