UP: Man arrested for religious conversion in Rae Bareli

A man identified as Rajesh also known as David was arrested on Friday, October 25 in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli city on charges of attempting to convert individuals to Christianity.

According to a police statement, the arrest follows a prayer meeting he organized in Baradar village on October 24 where he allegedly claimed that conversion could lead to relief from diseases and offered financial assistance to those who converted.

Assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Sanjeev Sinha said that approximately 60-70 individuals including women and children were present at the gathering. Police confiscated books and literature related to Christianity at the site. Rajesh, a native of Unnao district who chaired the meeting, was later arrested.

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Rajesh has reportedly been charged under the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance. According to station house officer (SHO) Gurubakshganj Brajesh Kumar Singh, interrogation was carried out with around 25 people who had attended the meeting.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2024, makes it stricter to convert someone’s religion. The maximum punishment is life imprisonment for those who commit certain acts.

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