A priest of a famous Church in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh was arrested on charges of alleged religious conversion of 17 Hindus into Christianity after offering them huge sums. The Priest of the Mulhera Church in Meerut Father Deependra Prakash Maalewar was caught by the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists when he was making affidavits of 17 Hindus for their conversion into Christianity in the chamber of a lawyer. Agitated activists thrashed both of them at the Sardhana Tehsil and brought them at the police station along with Hindus who were being converted into Christianity.

“We had prior information about the priest that he was involved in religious conversion and was luring poor Hindu families to embrace Christianity. On a tip-off that he has brought these poor Hindus to Tehsil for making affidavits, we raided the lawyer’s chamber and caught him red-handed,” said VHP leader Abhishek Chauhan. The Sardhana Police Station Circle Officer S.K. Singh said that during interrogation the priest admitted that he was completing the legal formalities for converting 17 members of 5 Hindu families of Khatauli and Mansoorpur villages in Muzaffarnagar. The priest also admitted that earlier he had got 4 Hindu families converted into Christianity in Mulhera village.

The police also recovered affidavits for conversion from the chamber of the lawyer, who was let off by the police after lawyers created ruckus in the police station. The SDM Sardhana R.K. Singh said that the police have also detained 10 members of five Hindu families while others ran away after seeing trouble. Those detained have been identified as Ranjan, Kuldeep, Poonam, Anjali Rani, Ashok, Salauni, Vishal and Leelavati. Most of them were poor and belonged to lower caste.

“We were offered Rs 15,000 cash and promised a job by the priest if we changed our religion to embrace Christianity,” Anjani Rani told the police during questioning. The CO said that most of them were offered cash and job by the priest if they agreed to change their religion and adopt Christianity. On a complaint lodged by the VHP and the Bajrang Dal, the police have registered a case against the priest for forcible conversion. “We have recorded statements of Hindus who were being converted. Investigations are underway and we may arrest associates of priest who were helping him in religious conversions,” said the CO.

Advertising

Advertising