UP: Pastor arrested for religious 'conversion' in Ghaziabad, probe on

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Two individuals, including a pastor, were arrested by Ghaziabad Police in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly attempting to convert members of the Scheduled Castes by offering inducements.

The arrests followed a formal complaint lodged by resident Prabal Gupta at the Crossing Republic Police Station in Gaziabad on Sunday.

According to Gupta’s statement, Pastor Vinod, originally from Kerala and currently residing in Sahibabad, was conducting religious conversion activities at the residence of Premchand Jatav in Rahul Vihar. Premchand had reportedly converted to Christianity several years ago and hosted weekly Sunday prayer meetings at his home.

Gupta alleged that Vinod gathered several individuals from the Scheduled Castes at Jatav’s residence and used various forms of inducement to encourage them to convert. Based on this information, the police initiated legal action and registered a case under the appropriate legal sections.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Wave City, Priyashree Pal, confirmed the development:

"An application was submitted at Crossing Republic Police Station by Prabal Gupta, son of Dharmendra Gupta, stating that a person named Vinod, residing in Sahibabad and originally from Kerala, was involved in religious conversion. Based on the application, a case has been registered under relevant sections, and both accused have been arrested. Further legal action is underway."

The Ghaziabad Police further elaborated that Premchand Jatav had previously converted to Christianity and had been regularly hosting prayer services every Sunday. These meetings allegedly served as a platform for the pastor to approach other individuals and persuade them to change their religion.

Both Pastor Vinod and Premchand Jatav were taken into custody shortly after the complaint was filed. Authorities have not yet disclosed the exact legal provisions under which the charges were framed.

The investigation is ongoing, and further legal proceedings will depend on the outcome of evidence collection.