Madhya Pradesh: Bajrang Dal busts Christian evangelist network, police arrest 3 involved in forced conversion

All three accused are in police custody (Image via Nai Duniya)

A serious case of religious conversion has come to light from Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh, where police arrested three people during a Christian prayer meeting being held at a rented house in the bypass area under Bahri police station. The police recovered more than a dozen prayer books, envelopes and other Christian religious material from the spot.

The incident came to light after Bajrang Dal workers informed the police about the prayer meeting. According to the activists, the meeting had been taking place in a closed room for nearly a week. They said that people, including some school children, were being brought from nearby villages to attend the prayers and were being forced to convert to Christianity.

Three arrested and sent to jail

Bahri police station in-charge Rajesh Pandey said police reached the spot and arrested Rajendra Bahadur Singh, Rajpati Singh and Gibson Thomas. The three were later produced before a court, from where they were sent to jail.

Police said a case has been registered against the three under the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act. The investigation is continuing to establish the exact purpose of the meeting and whether people attending it were only there for prayer or were being coerced, induced or influenced to convert to Christianity.

Bajrang Dal workers said that people from several nearby villages, including tribal and Hindu communities, were invited to the prayer meetings. Some people had earlier followed Hinduism but had later converted to Christianity.

According to the activists, people were being encouraged to change their religion by promises of financial assistance, healing and other benefits. Police, however, said these conversion-related claims are still being investigated, and further action will depend on the evidence collected.

The case has brought renewed attention to religious activities being conducted in rural and tribal areas of Sidhi district.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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