Three arrested for bid to persuade villagers to adopt Christianity

Lucknow: Sitapur police on Sunday arrested three persons for allegedly attempting to persuade villagers to convert to Christianity by offering financial inducements during a prayer gathering in Ramnagar Khatkari village under Ramkot police station limits.

The accused — Manjeet Kumar, Vishnu Kumar and Nand Kishore Maurya — were taken into custody after police received a tip-off about a meeting allegedly being used as a front for conversion-related activities.

SHO Ramkot Piyush Singh said, “Preliminary inquiry suggests that villagers, particularly those from economically weaker sections, were being lured with monetary assistance and support in exchange for adopting another faith.”

Police said Vishnu Kumar, a local resident, had allegedly invited the two others to organise the gathering. During the raid, officers seized a Bible, a large wooden cross and several books and pamphlets suspected to be linked to conversion activities.

An FIR has been registered and the role of all three accused is being probed to determine whether provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act were violated.

Officials said the accused were allegedly trying to influence villagers through sustained outreach and inducements. However, police emphasised that the investigation is still in its early stages and all claims are being verified.

The incident triggered tension in Ramnagar Khatkari and nearby areas, with locals gathering in large numbers after the police action.

Police records show that Sitapur has witnessed multiple such cases in recent years. In 2022, a major case surfaced in Shahbazpur Pokhra village under Sadarpur police station, where nearly 400 people were allegedly targeted for conversion. An FIR was lodged against 37 persons, including a pastor and his wife.

In separate cases the same year, FIRs were registered in Sakran, Tambaur and Laharpur areas over similar allegations of conversion attempts through prayer meetings and inducements.

More recent cases include the arrest of a pastor in Sidhauli in Dec 2024 and a couple in Kamalapur in Feb 2025, with investigators alleging links to organised networks attempting to influence vulnerable groups.