Three people, including a pastor and son, were arrested over allegations that religious conversion activities were being carried out at a church in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur, said police.
Tensions flared on Sunday after a group of Bajrang Dal workers gathered outside the church and staged a protest. Police personnel soon arrived and brought the situation under control.
Police said based on a complaint filed by a person, who claimed to have been present inside the church at Deviganj at the time of the alleged conversion, an FIR was registered at the Radha Nagar police station against three named and seven unidentified persons for their alleged involvement in conversion-related activities.
“We have arrested three persons, David Gladwin [the pastor], Abhishek Gladwin, and Johan Vishwas alias K K Bangali who were named in the FIR in this case,” said Vinod Kumar Maurya, Station House Officer of Radha Nagar police station.
He said police teams are working to trace the remaining accused who are absconding. Maurya also denied allegations that any of the accused were assaulted by members of the public.
Police said the case has been lodged under BNS sections 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 351 (criminal intimidation). Police also invoked sections of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act against the accused.
When contacted, Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s state vice-president, Virendra Pandey, said Bajrang Dal workers went to the site on receiving information about alleged religious conversion at the church. After confirming the reports, he said they informed the police. Pandey claimed police also recorded names and addresses of those present at the church and denied that anyone had been assaulted on the premises.
Bajrang Dal is the VHP’s youth wing.
According to police, they received information on Sunday afternoon about an argument outside a church, where members of a right-wing organisation had gathered. Police assured the crowd that the matter would be probed and took three persons present inside the church into custody for questioning.
Following a complaint by local resident Devprakash Paswan, the FIR was lodged.
In his complaint, Paswan alleged that he and two other men — Neeraj Paswan and Sushil Raidas — had been called to the church at 10 am on Sunday where prayers and hymns were being conducted.
Paswan, in his complaint, alleged that the accused promised the congregation money, household items, jobs, and free education for children if they accepted Christianity. Paswan claimed when they protested, the accused allegedly offered Rs 1,100 to keep them quiet.
He also claimed objectionable remarks were made about their deity; he informed some people outside the church and a crowd of local residents gathered. The police also arrived.
Paswan also alleged that when they tried to intervene in the alleged conversion, they were threatened inside the church and warned that they would be ruined if they did not comply.
In his complaint, Paswan further alleged that the accused had previously visited his village, Achgawa, in groups of four to five, asking residents to attend church every Sunday. He claimed they promised Rs 1,100 for every person brought to the church.