Major Christian Conversion Racket Busted in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh; Couple Arrested

In a significant development, Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday, April 10, busted a Christian conversion racket operating inside a house in Arusha village under the Ahiraula police station limits in Azamgarh district. Acting on a tip-off, the police raided the residence of one Gulabchand and his wife Bandeyi, where more than 30 men and women had gathered for a christian conversion event. According to reports, the locals were being lured with promises of money, jobs, and other incentives in exchange for converting to Christianity. They were also being instructed to abandon worship of Hindu deities. The police recovered religious material including a Bible and several pamphlets during the raid. The couple has been arrested and taken into custody for further questioning.

The racket came to light after a local resident, Happy Singh, filed a complaint with the police. As per the FIR, Singh and his friend Abhishek attended what they believed to be a religious gathering, only to find that the event was centered around conversion to Christianity. Singh stated that Bandeyi was directing the attendees to convert and used superstitious rituals as part of the lure. When he and his friend protested, they were threatened with death and offered money to remain silent. Ahiraula Station House Officer (SHO) Anil Kumar Singh confirmed the incident and stated that a case has been registered under Sections 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, as well as Section 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS). The investigation is currently underway, and police are probing the involvement of external agents suspected of orchestrating the conversion campaign. This case adds to the growing list of illegal Christian conversion activities being uncovered in various parts of the country, raising concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable communities under the guise of faith.