On June 24, the Odisha Police filed an FIR against a Canadian citizen identified as Eapen Mohan Kidangalil for luring the poor tribal children under the pretext of ‘Prarthana Sabha’ and attempting to convert them to Christianity. According to the Kalinga Rights Forum, the accused person was on a tourist visa and had organized a ‘Prarthana Sabha’ on June 22.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad members came to know about the event and caught the accused after which the police filed an FIR in the case.
As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the accused person has been booked under section 4 of the Odisha Freedom of Religion Act, 1967. The incident came to the fore after one of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad members learned that some people were being converted at the Katesingpur village in the Jagatsingpur region. They rushed to the spot and saw that the accused was trying to convince the local people including 11 minors to convert to Christianity.
“The person from Canada had some cash and documents in his hand. He was trying the local people to convert their religion,” the FIR filed by Suryakant Nanda of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad read.
The Kalinga Rights Forum, a local legal activist group took cognizance of the event and added that some of the minor children were also being converted by the accused who hails from Canada. The organization also said that the accused had violated the laws of tourist visa.
Reportedly, members of two other Christian missionaries from Tirtol were also present at the spot probably assisting the accused. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad members further discovered that around 33 tribal men and women and around 11 minor children were brought to the ‘Prarthana sabha’ by the missionary members in a vehicle that had no number plate registration on it.
kindly Note @KanoongoPriyank @ncsthq @MEAIndia , Canadian Citizen Eapen Mohan Kidangalil was in INDIA with 'Tourist Visa' & was indulging in Conversion of Minor Tribal Hindu Children in the name of "Prayer",Violating INDIAN VISA LAWS & posed threat to NATIONAL SECURITY OF INDIA pic.twitter.com/OhOz1H8vIP
— Kalinga Rights Forum (@KalingaForum) June 24, 2023
‘VHP, Bajrang Dal members were abused and attacked as they tried to stop the conversion event’
The Police are said to have filed a case under the Odisha Freedom of Religion Act, 1967, and have also seized a Bible, tourist visa, cash, and some medicines from the accused. “Medicines which may/could be used to drug minor kids were also seized from Eipen Mohan Kidangalil of Canada,” the Kalinga Rights Forum added.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad members were also attacked by the accused and the missionary members who probably carried weapons for ‘safety’, said the Kalinga Rights Forum. The VHP members were attacked when they tried to stop the conversion event that was underway in the name of ‘Prarthana Sabha’.
Counter FIR filed by missionaries against VHP and Bajrang Dal members
Reportedly, the accused persons have also filed a counter FIR against a few persons alleging them of disturbing their ‘personal event’. Wife of one of the missionary activists identified as Laxmipriya Mallick filed an FIR under sections 448, 294, 323, 506, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and alleged that her ‘family’ had invited the people including minors for her son’s birthday. “At around 11 am, we were busy in worship when some of the local people entered the house and began abusing us. We informed the police who then rescued us from the spot,” the complaint obtained by OpIndia roughly read.
Team OpIndia meanwhile talked to the local VHP member who has filed a complaint against the Canadian person accused of conversion. VH member Suryakand Nanda revealed that the Bajrang Dal members were brutally beaten and abused as they tried to stop the conversion that was underway in the name of some ‘Prarthana Sabha’.
Local tribal women refused to worship Lord Jagannath, and said ‘now we are converted’
“On June 22, some of our members saw a white Bolero without a number plate. On asking we found that a Canadian Christian had come to the village. Later around 40-50 poor Hindu tribals were seen rushing to a place which is close to the house of a local Christian Missionary couple. At around 11 am that day, Bajrang Dal members reached the spot out of suspicion and saw that the Canadian person was influencing the local Hindu persons to convert their religion to Christianity. The lady named Laxmipriya Mallick, wife of the local Christian Missionary member then tried to cover up saying that it was her son’s birthday and so the people had gathered to pray and celebrate,” Nanda said to OpIndia.
Rs 30,000 in Cash for luring Poor Tribal Hindus along with Bible, Tourist Visa & certain objectionable materials like some kind of Medicines which may/could be used to drug minor kids were seized from Christian Missionary Eipen Mohan Kidangalil of CANADA pic.twitter.com/4BQpvHnc59
— Kalinga Rights Forum (@KalingaForum) June 24, 2023
He also said that one of the local tribal women who was being converted was questioned by the Bajrang Dal members. The woman said that she earlier used to worship Lord Jagannath but now would stop worshiping him as she was converted on the occasion. “The local tribal people were lured for money and were asked to accept Christianity. The local police knows everything but happened to release the Canadian accused person. Now we are being questioned instead on the basis of a complaint filed by Mallick,” he added.
NCPCR takes cognizance as 11 minors were being converted
In a recent update to the case, the Kalinga Rights Forum has written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) seeking attention as around 11 minor children were being converted by the Canadian person. The NCPCR has also taken cognizance of the event and has said that the case will be thoroughly investigated.
Noted
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) June 24, 2023
SHO Shubranshu Parida says released the Canadian person as he had an OCI card; sec 41 CrPC issued
Team OpIndia further called SHO Shubranshu Parida for his comment. The SHO said that the accused person who has Canadian citizenship is of Indian origin. He hails from Kerala and is a born Christian. “During interrogation, we found out that he went to Canada and then attained an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. So there’s no violation of the law and he has the right to practice religion in India. He was not on the tourist visa,” the police confirmed.
The SHO further said that the Canadian citizen and the Christian Missionary members were released after they were issued a notice under section 41 (which provides for arrest by police on receiving a reasonable complaint/information or has reasonable suspicion of a cognizable offense having been committed) of the CrPC Act.
On asking about the conversion attempt, the Police said that no such evidence have been found yet. “The case has been booked but no such evidence regarding the conversion activity has been attained yet. The local tribal people are also being interrogated in the case. As soon as we find any evidence, the accused persons will be arrested and further action will be taken. At present, the accused persons have been released and sec 41 CrPC has been issued to them,” the SHO confirmed.
Are police denying any Missionary activity?
OpIndia further discovered that any OCI card holder requires special prior permission to undertake any research, journalism activity, or any kind of missionary activity in India. When asked about this, the Police said that no such special permission documents were recovered from the Canadian citizen and that he was released after issuing him a 41 CrPC notice. “At present, no evidence has been found so it is difficult to claim that any missionary activity was ongoing. So no permission documents were asked. We are investigating,” the SHO added.
However, as per the Kalinga Rights Forum, the Police are challenging the violation of law by the accused. “The Police is challenging the fact that the accused has violated the laws against missionary activities under of tourist visa. We have written to the NCPCR and we will expose this entire nexus,” the Rights Forum said while talking to OpIndia.
