FIR against 11, 4 held for conversion bid

Lucknow: Police in Maharajganj district on Tuesday detained four and booked 11 people after allegations surfaced that a religious gathering was being used to lure people into converting their religion. The case was registered at the Sadar Kotwali police station following a complaint lodged by Ambareesh Sharma, district convenor (Goraksh province) of the Hindu Jagran Manch.According to the complaint, the alleged incident took place on Sunday in the Kanjar Basti in Indiranagar under the Sadar Kotwali area. Sharma alleged that preachers from outside the district were organising weekly ‘Changai Sabhas' and attempting to convert people belonging to Scheduled Tribes and economically weaker sections to Christianity by promising financial assistance and other benefits.Sharma stated in his complaint that he reached the spot along with around 20-25 members of the organisation and the town unit president, Anand Agrahari, after receiving information from local workers. He alleged that the organisers were persuading poor and vulnerable people to change their religion by offering monetary incentives and assurances of support, which he described as a "well-planned attempt at religious conversion".Police were subsequently informed about the gathering, following which a team from the Sadar Kotwali reached the location and began enquiries. Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR against 11 named individuals identified as Sanjay, Vijay, Vishal, Karan, Balle, Anita, Hajari, Sunil, Munni, Bitiya and Panma, who were booked under the charges of the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, along with others whose identities are yet to be verified. Police said four of the accused were detained on Tuesday.