The religious conversion of unsuspecting people in Uttar Pradesh is steadily increasing as cases of proselytisation have started springing up. Recently, 3 Christian evangelists promoting religious conversion on the pretext of healing diseases were arrested from the Ranipur village of the Mau district.

On Tuesday, the police arrested the 3 Christian priests after VHP filed a complaint alleging that the 3 Christian padres are fueling superstition to undergo religious conversions. The police reached the spot and arrested the evangelists. Those arrested by the Mau police were identified as Kapil Dev Ram, Ajay Kumar and Omprakash. The three Christian preachers were reportedly engaged in proselytizing activities in Darora village of the area.

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Apart from religious books, other paraphernalia used in religious conversion were also recovered from them. The three proselytisers had organised a ‘Dharmasabha’, promoting the religious conversion among the uninitiated folks as a panacea for the treatment of serious diseases. Poor people were present in this meeting with their sick relatives.

The missionaries involved in the religious conversion used to meet at the house of Kapil Dev Ram in the Darora village. A prayer meeting was also held every Sunday in his house which was used as a church. The priests had organised a program for religious conversion on Tuesday.

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About 20 people were planned to be baptised into Christianity. The process of religious conversion began in the afternoon. VHP activist Ashutosh Pandey got wind of the blatant religious conversion and reported the event to the VHP District Vice President Ashwani Mishra and District President Bhanuprakash Pandey. Before long, a raft of VHP activists along with the village head reached the venue and confronted the Christian padres. Meanwhile, police also reached the spot and arrested the three proselytisers. A religious book, mustard oil and water kept in a vessel were recovered from them.

The people who came to attend the ceremony informed the police that they had brought their ailing family members to get rid of their diseases. According to them, the Christian padres had affirmed that after their religious conversion and consumption of the holy water, they would be relieved of their diseases.