india

Updated: Oct 18, 2018 17:01 IST

A government veterinary doctor has been arrested in Jharkhand’s Pakur district on charges of luring a minor girl “with Rs 500” into converting to Christianity.

Acting on a complaint lodged by the girl’s father, the police conducted raids at Sawanlapur village on Tuesday and rescued the 13-year-old girl after arresting the doctor, Dalu Soren, said Pakur Superintendent of Police Shailendra Prasad Burnwal on Wednesday.

He said a religious meeting was going on during that time.

The veterinary doctor-cum-flying animal husbandry officer is currently posted at Chatarpur in Palamu district.

The case was registered against the senior veterinary doctor under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Jharkhand Anti-Conversion Act, 2017, on the basis of the statement of the girl’s father on Monday, the SP said.

Burnwal said the accused has previous record of converting children and villagers to Christianity.

In the FIR lodged at the Littipara Police Station, the girl’s father, a farmer of Rodego village, said the veterinary doctor had recently lured his daughter and took her away in his vehicle after offering Rs 500.

The accused, who was a frequent visitor to Rodego village, had told the girl that she would be converted to Christianity at the religious meeting and assured her that missionary authorities would take care of her studies and other requirements, the SP said quoting complaint.

Officer-in-Charge of Littipara Police Station, Bimal Kumar Singh said, “We are investigating the links of the accused with any specific missionary organisation.” Soren runs a school at Sawanlapur village, Singh said.

Following allegations of conversion against the accused in 2015, he was transferred to Chatarpur, Singh said.

The girl has been sent to a child welfare centre for counselling and Soren has been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a Pakur court on Tuesday.