Two held for attempting illegal religious conversion in UP's Mau

Mau (UP), Aug 19 (PTI) Two persons have been arrested for allegedly attempting to covert a man to Christianity in Uttar Pradesh's Mau district, police said on Tuesday.

A case has been registered against the arrested accused and an unidentified individual, they said.

On Sunday, Akash Kumar, a resident of the district, lodged a complaint against Shyam Kumar Rajbhar and Ravi Shankar, a police officer said.

The complainant alleged that, "Around two months ago Shyam and Ravi were pressuring me to change my religion by offering me money. When I refused, they asked me to come to a prayer meeting near Salahabad." Upon reaching the spot, Akash saw around 60 to 70 people being "brainwashed" to convert their religion, police said.

Acting on the complaint, a police team was sent to the spot on Monday, leading to the arrest of Shyam and Ravi while a few unidentified persons managed to flee, Station House Officer (SHO) Anil Kumar Singh said.

The team recovered Christian religious text, books and other religious symbols from the spot, the officer said added.

Superintendent of Police Elamaran G said any attempt of illegal conversion will not be tolerated, and strict action will be taken against those involved in such acts. PTI COR NAV OZ OZ