Pastor and Son Arrested in Uttar Pradesh for Alleged Forced Conversions

Arrests Made Over Allegations of Forced Religious Conversions

A pastor and his son were taken into custody in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, following accusations of conducting forced religious conversions within a church, as reported by local media.

On Sunday, tensions flared when members of a local Hindu group protested outside the church, claiming that coercive conversions were occurring.

The police acted on a complaint lodged by Devprakash Paswan, who alleged he witnessed the conversions firsthand.

The first information report (FIR) identified the pastor, David Gladwin, his son Abhishek Gladwin, and another individual named Johan Vishwas, also known as KK Bangali.

According to the station house officer of Radha Nagar police station, all three individuals have been arrested, and seven others remain unidentified but are also implicated.

Authorities have stated that no one involved in the incident was harmed, a claim echoed by Virendra Pandey, the state vice president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

Pandey asserted that the Bajrang Dal members acted after receiving reports of the alleged conversions and subsequently alerted the police.

In his complaint, Paswan mentioned that he and two others were invited to the church at 10 AM on Sunday, where they were allegedly promised money, household goods, jobs, and free education for children in exchange for converting to Christianity.

Paswan further claimed that when they protested, they were offered Rs 1,100 to remain silent and faced threats when attempting to intervene.

He also noted that the accused had previously visited his village, Achgawa, offering Rs 1,100 for each person brought to the church.

The police have filed charges under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to acts intended to insult religious beliefs and criminal intimidation, as well as invoking the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.