Pastor held over alleged religious 'conversion' in UP’s Ghaziabad

New Delhi: Two individuals, including a pastor, were arrested by the Ghaziabad Police for allegedly attempting to convert members of the Scheduled Castes through inducements.

The arrests came after a complaint was filed by local resident Prabal Gupta at the Crossing Republic Police Station on Sunday. According to Gupta, Pastor Vinod—originally from Kerala and currently residing in Sahibabad—was conducting religious conversion activities at the home of Premchand Jatav in Rahul Vihar.

Premchand, who embraced Christianity a few years ago, has reportedly been hosting weekly Sunday prayer meetings at his residence. Gupta alleged that during one such gathering, Vinod assembled several Scheduled Caste individuals and encouraged their conversion through various incentives.

Following the complaint, police registered a case and launched legal proceedings under relevant sections.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Wave City, Priyashree Pal, confirmed the development:

"An application was submitted at Crossing Republic Police Station by Prabal Gupta, son of Dharmendra Gupta, stating that a person named Vinod, residing in Sahibabad and originally from Kerala, was involved in religious conversion. Based on the application, a case has been registered under relevant sections, and both accused have been arrested. Further legal action is underway."

Police have further clarified that Premchand Jatav, who had earlier converted to Christianity, was hosting regular Sunday prayer meetings at his residence. These gatherings allegedly provided a platform for Pastor Vinod to approach and encourage others to convert.

Following the complaint, both Pastor Vinod and Premchand were taken into custody. Authorities have yet to specify the legal sections under which charges were filed.

The investigation is ongoing, and further legal action will depend on the evidence gathered.

(inputs from IANS)