Pastor Among 3 Arrested In UP For Alleged Illegal Religious Conversions

Three persons, including a pastor, have been arrested for allegedly luring poor and underprivileged Hindus to convert to Christianity, officials said on Tuesday.

According to police, the three were allegedly offering inducements to members of weaker sections to convert.

A probe has been launched to determine how long the alleged conversion activities had been going on and how many people were involved, they said.

Baradari Station House Officer (SHO) Dhananjay Pandey said that a case was registered on on Sunday on a complaint by Rishabh Thakur, a resident of Subhash Nagar, and Nirdosh Rathore of Nakatia area under Cantt police station.

The complainants alleged that some people associated with a Christian missionary had rented a house in the Super City area, where they were allegedly coercing Hindu women and children to convert under the pretext of religious gatherings and prayer meetings.

The FIR, lodged under Section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens by insulting their religion or religious beliefs) and sections 3 and 5(1) of UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 at Baradari police station, named Pastor Sumit Masey, Amit Masey, Sarita, and Satyapal -- all residents of Bareilly.

While Pastor Sumit Masey, Amit Masey alias Akshay Masey and Sarita, wife of Devendra, were arrested and sent to jail on Monday, Satyapal is missing.

The police claimed that during interrogation, the pastor told them that they targeted people from poor, Dalit and socially weaker communities, promising better living conditions and faith healing to induce them into conversion.

Several women and children were allegedly converted using this method, the police said.

SHO Pandey said that a preliminary investigation revealed that the group attempted to influence people mentally and emotionally before introducing them to Christian teachings and scriptures. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)