Muzaffarnagar: Christian conversion camp lures poor Hindus with money, medical aid, and housing promises; 12 arrested

Case registered under UP Freedom of Religion Act; police probe wider network as mobile phones and documents sent for forensic examination

NewsBharati    07-Jul-2026 11:56:15 AM
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In a major crackdown on illegal religious conversion activities, the Muzaffarnagar Police have arrested 12 people, including five women, for allegedly attempting to convert poor Hindu families to Christianity by offering inducements such as free medical treatment, financial assistance for marriages, and promises of housing.

The action was taken after police raided a premises located in the fields of Jarauda village under the Mansoorpur police station following complaints from residents and Hindu organisations about a suspected conversion camp operating in the area.
 
conversion 

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sanjay Kumar Verma said the accused were allegedly gathering economically vulnerable families and persuading them to embrace Christianity through various material inducements. A case has been registered against 14 persons under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, and other relevant provisions. While 12 accused have been arrested, two others, identified as Rashid and Monis, who allegedly arranged the venue, remain absconding.
 
 
 
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According to the police, three religious books, three diaries, and six mobile phones were recovered during the raid. The seized electronic devices and documents have been sent for forensic and technical examination to identify other persons linked to the alleged network and determine whether similar activities were being carried out in other districts or states.
 
 

The operation was conducted by three special teams under the supervision of SP City Amrit Jain, CO Khatauli Rupali Rai Chaudhary, and Mansoorpur Police, along with the Mission Shakti team. Police said the complaint alleged that people were being invited to the gathering on the pretext of miraculous healing, financial support for marriages, free housing, and other benefits before being encouraged to convert to Christianity.

According to local reports, more than 100 people, a majority of them women from economically weaker sections, were present at the site when the police team arrived. Officials also faced resistance from some persons present at the venue before the situation was brought under control.
 
 
 

The case has once again drawn attention to allegations that vulnerable sections of society are being targeted through inducement-based conversion activities in different parts of the country. Uttar Pradesh has witnessed an increasing number of investigations under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, since its enactment to curb conversions carried out through force, fraud, coercion or allurement.

The latest action also follows a significant legal development earlier this year, when a special court in Ambedkar Nagar reportedly handed down one of the first convictions under the state's anti-conversion law. The court sentenced a Christian couple to five years' imprisonment after finding them guilty of illegally converting members of the Dalit community through inducements and organised evangelisation. The verdict has since been viewed as an important precedent in the enforcement of the legislation and has strengthened the state's ongoing crackdown on alleged organised conversion networks.
 

Police have said the Muzaffarnagar investigation is continuing, with forensic analysis of the seized devices expected to reveal the extent of the alleged network and whether additional individuals or organisations were involved.
Christian conversion Muzzafarnagar Uttar Pradesh illegal conversion