3 arrested for illegal religious conversions in UP

Baghpat (UP), Nov 17 (PTI) Three persons have been arrested here for allegedly luring women from poor families to convert to Christianity by offering them Rs 1 lakh each, police said on Monday.

The arrests were made from Khindoda village here on Sunday.

According to police, Vinod, a resident of Khindoda and a Bajrang Dal office-bearer in Baghpat district, filed a complaint, alleging that at a meeting at the house of a villager, Arjun, women from poor families were being lured to convert to Christianity by offering them Rs 1 lakh each.

He claimed that villagers recorded a video of the meeting and sent it to him, in which a young man was seen giving the women information about Christianity and luring them to convert to the religion.

After receiving the information, Bajrang Dal workers reached the spot and protested. The three accused -- Pooja and Rohit from Jharkhand's Jamshedpur, and Jyoti from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh -- tried to flee and police were called, the complainant stated.

Superintendent of Police Suraj Kumar Rai said a police team was dispatched to the scene after receiving information about the alleged religious conversions.

"A case has been registered against the three accused. The investigation is ongoing, and further action will be taken based on the facts that emerge," he said.

Circle Officer Anshu Jain said the three accused have been arrested.

The case has been registered at Singhawali Ahir police station under the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, police said. PTI COR NAV DIV DIV