On Sunday (31st March), a large religious conversion racket was busted in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. As per reports, around 110 men and women from the Hindu faith were being ferried in two buses to a church in Unnao for religious conversion. The accused were luring them to convert to Christianity promising them good marriage proposals, job offers, better medical facilities, and financial aid of Rs 50,000.
After getting intel about the racket, the Kanpur Police reportedly arrested two accused for running the conversion syndicate. The accused have been identified as Williams (a church priest) and Deepak Morris. They have been charged under the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2021.
According to the FIR, the 110 men and women were asked to remove the statues of Hindu Gods and Goddesses from their places after conversion.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Coloneganj) Mahesh Kumar said the accused promised Rs 50,000 each to residents of slums in Kanpur’s Nawabganj, Armapur, Kohna, and some other places if they converted to Christianity. The ACP added, “Apart from cash, they were assured jobs. The unmarried people in the group were promised help in finding partners.”
As per reports, Bajrang Dal workers came to know about the religious conversion racket and that several Hindu men and women were being ferried for conversion. They stopped two buses near the Boat Club of Nawabganj police station in Kanpur and started inquisitively asking questions from them. During this time, some people told them that they were being lured and taken to Unnao for religious conversion. Subsequently, they alerted the police about the same.
ACP Colonelganj Mahesh Kumar stated that Bajrang Dal informed the police at around 1 am on Saturday Night (30 March 2024) that more than 110 people were being taken to a church in Unnao from Nawabganj in 2 buses for conversion. The police started checking by putting barricades on the Ganga barrage. These two buses were stopped by the police during checking.
He added that on interrogating the people onboard the bus, it was found that they had been brought from Nawabganj, Armapur, Kohna of Kanpur. They were being ferried to a church in Unnao. Late at night, a conversion ceremony was slated to be organised in a church in Unnao. He further stated that all these people belong to the weaker section.
Later, one of the “rescued” persons, Sanjay Valmiki filed a complaint against Williams and Morris. As per reports, he is a resident of Armapur. According to the official, Sunil stated that his wife was the first one to be lured into agreeing to convert.
Sanjay said, “I am a resident of Bilsi Badaun. Noel Williams and Deepak Morris told me and my family that if you become a Christian and worship our Lord, all your problems will go away. These people had lured my wife and influenced her. Now she doesn’t want to live with me.”
Sanjay added, “These people had been pressurising me that my wife and children will come to live with me only if I convert to Christianity.”
They told him, “You will have to remove the idols of Hindu gods and goddesses. The church will give you 40 to 50 thousand rupees as soon as you convert to our religion. Not only this, they will also give you money for a job and medical treatment. Holy water will be given to you by the priest of the church. If you apply it in your eyes, then the blessings of Jesus will rain upon you.”
While Police assured that more people involved in forceful conversion were on their radar, Bajrang Dal worker Krishna Tiwari said that Nawabganj police released the accused from the police station.
According to the Dainik Bhaskar report, people from the Christian community had created a ruckus at the police station late in the night. After the uproar, the police of Nawabganj police station released both of them from the police station after giving them a notice under section 41 of IPC.
