India: 50 detained on allegations of religious conversion

Mau (Uttar Pradesh): More than 50 people were taken into custody for alleged conversion to Christianity during a raid by Mau police, who acted on receiving a tip-off, in Sahadatpura Colony under Kotwali police circle.

The conversion programme was being carried out on Sunday in the name of community prayers to treat the sick.

Police sources here said that Pastor Abraham was organising a prayer assembly in Vijendra Rajbhar’s house in Sahadatpura area for the past five years.

They said that neighbours had been complaining about the assembly as they believed that illegal religious conversions were being performed in the assembly.

Bhanu Pratap Singh, district in-charge of Hindu Jagran Manch, and other workers informed police that people at Rajbhar’s house were involved in religious conversions after luring people in the name of prayers that they said would cure diseases.

The complainants alleged that followers of Christianity were also misguiding innocent villagers and persuading them for conversion.

Dhananjay Mishra, Deputy Superintendent of Police, said that several people were questioned about the rituals and alleged conversions during the prayer assembly.

He said that some of them were Christian missionaries while few others were first-time visitors.

He said that investigations were underway and action would be taken if any forcible conversion was found to have been conducted in the assembly.