The Azamgarh police in Uttar Pradesh broke a conversion racket on Saturday, July 30, and detained six ladies who were trying to convert poor peasants to Christianity. The scheme, according to reports was being carried out as a birthday celebration. Under the guise of celebrating her son’s birthday, the primary culprit Indrakala, who was living with her husband in a leased home in the Vanchit Basti Vishnu Nagar sector of the Maharajganj police station in Azamgarh gathered over 100 people from hers and the other neighbouring villages. According to reports, the invitees were mostly women.

Indrakala and her assistants began giving out sweets to the villagers during the event, but first they gave them pamphlets and compelled them to read them and become Christians before they could enjoy the sweets. The alleged evangelists also attempted to seduce the people by making financial offers to them. They also gave them the assurance that converting to Christianity would help them get rid of ghosts spirit possession.

While the programme was being conducted, some villagers told some Bajrang Dal members about it. They then told the local police about it. The so-called birthday celebration was wounded when the Azamgarh police arrived on the scene right away. While many people ran away when they saw the police, they were able to capture the primary suspect, Indrakala, and her five accomplices, Subhagi Devi, Sadhna, Samta, Anita, and Sunita. Numerous religious books and leaflets were also taken from the area

According to Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kumar, who was speaking about the alleged conversion programme, “Sub Inspector Kamlesh Yadav of the Maharajganj police station was in the area with other staff when he learned that some women are pressuring underprivileged villagers to change their religion. In case they expressed displeasure or disputed the same, they were additionally warned with terrible repercussions. Following intelligence, police proceeded to the Dalit basti in Maharajganj Nagar Panchayat Ward No. 1, where individuals were being persuaded to convert under the pretence of a birthday celebration. Six women were detained and taken to jail right away. SP Siddharth Kumar remarked that the police had started a thorough investigation into the case.

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