In Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, a controversy has unfolded over claims of religious conversion activities disguised as healing sessions and prayer meetings. Hindu organizations vehemently protested against these activities, leading to the arrest of a pastor and another individual by the police. The incident took place in the Pachpedi police station area.
Hindu organizations in Bilaspur district have been actively opposing religious conversions, alleging that individuals associated with missionary work are exploiting prayer meetings in both urban and rural settings to convert people under the pretense of providing healing. In response to a similar incident in the Pachpedi police station area, the police arrested three people following complaints and protests.
At the village of Jondhra, situated within the Pachpedi area, Hindu organizations protested on Sunday, alleging that religious conversion was taking place. Upon arriving at a house, they discovered a prayer meeting in progress. The presence of Christian community members at the prayer meeting led to confrontations, with Hindu organization officials responding with chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’. The police were called to the scene. The police then took action and filed a case against Pastor Sukhnandan Lahare and his brother, Raghunandan Lahare, under the Religious Freedom Act and Section 299 of the BNS. The two individuals were subsequently arrested. Police confirmed that the arrests were made based on a complaint about alleged religious conversion activities under the guise of prayer meetings.