The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday said they have arrested at least nine people from Barabanki in connection with allegedly attempting to convert members of the Dalit community to Christianity under the guise of faith healing and prayers.
According to the information released, the incident occurred in Gautaman Purwa village, where the police stated that, for the past few months, the suspects had allegedly been encouraging the local community to convert to Christianity through Bible readings.
Details of the incident
Speaking about the incident, Assistant Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Narayan said the accused, under the guise of faith healing and prayers, were allegedly involved in unlawful conversion activities in the area.
"Upon reaching the village, police discovered a Christian prayer gathering taking place at the home of Munni Lal Rawat. Some participants in the gathering were reportedly attempting to attract locals to Christianity," a police official said.
"Nine people — Parshuram, Gokarn, Munni Lal, Manju, Bablu, Vidyawati, Shivanshi, and two others — were arrested," the official added. Significantly, aside from the arrests, the police stated Bibles and other religious literature, musical instruments, sweets, and gifts intended for children were also confiscated from the prayer meeting location.
Investigation Underway
The police stated that a detailed investigation into the case is presently underway. The accused have so far been booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
(With inputs from PTI)
