A case involving unlawful religious conversion has emerged in Sri Ganganagar of Rajasthan. The city is adjacent to Pakistan where an unauthorised church was functioning inside a rented residence and people were enticed with financial incentives to convert to Christianity. On the night of 18th December (Thursday) six individuals, including a German couple, Swain Boz Bet Jaler and Sandra, were caught. The incident took place near the Sri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Lakkar Mandi, Ward Number 22, Sri Karanpur town. Santosh Varghese from Karnataka, Mathew of Kerala, Baljinder Singh Khosa and Rajesh Kamboj alias Poppy were also nabbed from the scene.
Sriganganagar SP Amrita Duhan stated that a case has been filed against four individuals at the Sri Karanpur police station following a complaint lodged by Sharad Gumber who lives in Ward No. 14. The complainant conveyed that he observed “JW ORG” written on a neighbouring house upon his arrival at the Sri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara.
It has been accused that activities pertaining to religious conversion were occurring at this place and foreigners were brought to lure individuals. Moreover, offensive comments were directed at Hindu deities and gurus to persuade them to embrace Christianity. Baljinder Singh Khosa, Matthew and his wife as well as Rajesh Kamboj were charged with illicitly converting people in the complaint.
The team from Shrikaranpur police station along with DSP Pushpendra Singh rushed to the area. The police discovered a small church inside the house and many persons were present, including the Germans. During the interrogation, they were unable to provide the police with any satisfactory responses. The initial probe revealed that activities associated with attempted religious conversions were transpiring there.
On the other hand, multiple vehicles were present near Gurdwara Nanak Darbar, displaying Uttar Pradesh license plate that was transporting the German duo. Additionally, vehicles with license plates from Kerala and Rajasthan were also observed at the location. Several people had been reportedly assembled under the guise of healing ailments and were being coerced into embracing Christianity.
The German pair had also travelled to Ganganagar’s Majhiwala border recently. As a result, security agencies have been placed on high alert. A significant number of police officers have been stationed in the region to manage any possible unrest. Sri Karanpur is a sensitive region where stringent regulations govern the movement of foreign nationals. Preliminary inquiry have disclosed that the two Germans entered the area without permission and were clandestinely organising a religious gathering.
The locals were also oblivious to the events happening inside the house. However, there had been a rise in the presence of suspicious persons in the vicinity, consisting of people from abroad. Afterward, a team from the CID’s intelligence division rushed to the spot after receiving a tip-off.
Meanwhile, large number of individuals from Hindu and Sikh communities congregated outside the church and in front of the police station well into the night. Circle Officer Pushpendra Singh attempted to pacify the crowd. The Vishva Hindu Parishad lodged a complaint at the police station, charging illegal conversion activities. The members have submitted a memorandum to the police demanding an impartial investigation and strict action.
A probe is currently in progress to ascertain how the two reached that area. Further investigations are also underway in the matter.
