Madhya Pradesh Police Bust Christian Conversion Racket Luring Poor Vanvasis with Cash and Jobs.
Police in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district have arrested six people for allegedly running a Christian religious conversion racket that targeted poor Vanvasi (incorrectly named ‘tribal’ in common parlance) families with promises of cash payouts of up to one lakh rupees per person and job opportunities. The operation, which police say had been active for around three months in vanvasi pockets of the Bilkisganj and Rehti police station areas, was busted after villagers complained of sustained pressure and inducements to convert.
Network targeting Vanvasi villages
According to the case details, the alleged conversion network was active in Vanvasi-dominated villages under Bilkisganj and Rehti police station limits, particularly Bhilpati, Khajuri and Veerpur. Police and complainants say the group focused on “simple, poor Vanvasi families”, repeatedly visiting their homes and calling them to prayer meetings as a way to build influence and then push them towards adopting Christianity.
Villagers from Veerpur – identified as Lakhan Barela, Sitaram Barela, Ramesh Barela and Raysingh Barela – submitted a joint written complaint stating that for nearly three months the accused had been visiting their area and using various tactics to pressure them into changing their religion. They alleged that the outreach, initially framed as regular prayer meetings, gradually turned into persistent demands and coercion to give up their faith.
Alleged inducements: cash and jobs
Complainants told police that the villagers were offered one lakh rupees each and the promise of employment if they agreed to convert. During the meetings, the accused reportedly assured participants that those who embraced the new faith would receive financial assistance and help in securing jobs, which authorities say amounts to inducement under state law.
The complaint further mentions that on 9 December, villagers were again called to a special late-night gathering and, according to them, subjected to “jabardasti” (forcible pressure) to renounce their existing faith. It was after this incident, the villagers say, that they decided to call the police helpline 112, fearing that more people could be trapped if the activities continued unchecked.
Prayer meetings and seized material
Police state that the network’s activities were centred around regular prayer meetings being held at the house of an accused identified as Rem Singh Barela in village Veerpur. These gatherings, held particularly at night, reportedly featured Christian religious symbols such as images of Jesus Christ and copies of the Bible, along with literature that investigators say was being used to persuade villagers to convert.
When a police team responding to the 112 call reached the spot, officers say they found suspicious religious activities underway and detained all persons present for questioning. During a subsequent raid ordered by Bilkisganj station in-charge Sandeep Meena, police claim to have seized multiple copies of the Bible, other religious literature and materials they associate with efforts at religious conversion from the house.
Arrested accused and sections invoked
Following the raid, six people were arrested in connection with the alleged conversion racket. Police have identified them as:
- Mukesh Barela, resident of Khajuri (Rehti police station area)
- Lakhan Barela, resident of Bhilpati (Rehti)
- Sitaram Barela, resident of Khajuri (Rehti)
- Rem Singh Barela, resident of Veerpur (Sehore)
- Kushma Barela, resident of Bhilpati (Rehti)
- Beena Barela, resident of Khajuri (Rehti)
A case has been registered against all six under Sections 3 and 5 of the Madhya Pradesh Dharm Swatantrata Adhiniyam (Religious Freedom Act) 2021, which criminalizes forced, fraudulent or induced conversions. Station in-charge Sandeep Meena said all six accused have been arrested and that further legal action is underway, including efforts to identify any additional victims or possible links beyond the immediate villages.
Villagers’ allegations of pressure
In their statements, villagers have alleged that they were repeatedly summoned to the prayer meetings and pressured to participate, even when they were reluctant. They claim that over time the message shifted from general preaching to direct calls to abandon their existing religion (Hindu dharma), reinforced by offers of money and job placements, and that they were told their problems would end if they converted. This constitutes a classic case of predatory proselytization.
Several villagers have also expressed fear that if they had not alerted police in time, the network might have succeeded in drawing many more families into what they describe as a “jāl” (trap) of financial promises and religious pressure. Local residents have praised the swift response of law enforcement and said the action has reassured Vanvasi communities that their complaints will be taken seriously.
Police stance and ongoing investigation
Police say the swift deployment of the 112 response team and subsequent raid were intended to send a strong signal that any form of forced or induced religious conversion will attract strict legal action. Officials stress that the state’s Religious Freedom Act provides for stringent punishment in cases involving coercion, fraud or material inducements such as money and jobs, and that the Sehore case will be pursued as a serious offence.
Investigators are continuing to probe whether the six arrested accused were acting alone or were part of a wider network operating in other Vanvasi belts of Sehore district and neighbouring areas. Police have appealed to other villagers who may have faced similar pressure or inducements to come forward, stating that additional complainants could lead to further charges and a broader case.
