Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, is the scene of a dispute involving allegations of religious conversion taking place under the guise of healing sessions and prayer gatherings. Hindu organizations protested, and a pastor and another individual were apprehended by the police. The event occurred in the Pachpedi police station’s area.
Hindu organizations in the Bilaspur district are actively working against alleged religious conversions. Reports indicate that those connected to missionary activities are organizing prayer meetings in both urban and rural areas. These meetings purportedly use promises of healing to lure individuals into converting. In response to an incident in the Pachpedi police station area, the police made three arrests following complaints and protests.
In Jondhra village, within the jurisdiction of Pachpedi, members of Hindu organizations protested on Sunday, accusing people of engaging in religious conversion. Upon their arrival, they found a prayer meeting happening in a house after a devotional event. The presence of Christians at the prayer meeting triggered a response from the Hindu organization members, who chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’. The Pachpedi police were notified. The police responded by filing a case against Pastor Sukhnandan Lahare and his brother, Raghunandan Lahare, under the Religious Freedom Act and Section 299 of the BNS. The two accused were then arrested. Police confirmed the arrests, citing a complaint about alleged religious conversion during a prayer meeting in Jondhra village.