‘Trying to convert people to Christianity’: 2 from Tamil Nadu among 5 booked in UP

Shahjahanpur police have lodged an FIR against five persons, including two from Tamil Nadu, under the new anti-conversion law for allegedly trying to convince people to convert to Christianity.

“No one has been arrested in the case so far. Among the named persons, two are from Tamil Nadu. On the basis of the gathered evidence, action would be taken against the accused,” Superintendent of Police (Shahjahanpur) S Anand said, adding that all the five accused have promised to co-operate in the investigation.

According to police, the complainant had alleged that the five promised them job and good education for their children if they would convert to Christianity.

The five booked under Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 have been identified as David and Jagan from Tamil Nadu and Rajat, Ajay and Shirish Gupta alias Shyam– all residents of Shahjahanpur.

According to police, Ram Lakhan, the complainant, told them that around 10 days back he was asked by a man to reach at a house in Vikas Nagar Colony for attending prayers.

On Sunday, when he went to the place – the residence of Shirish Gupta – he found around 30 people, including women and children, present there attending the prayer.

A few of them were seen convincing people to convert to Christianity with the promise of “good job and good education to children”, police said quoting the complainant.

Ram Lakhan claimed that when he objected, the accused started arguing with them. Soon, a group of local Hindu activists reached there and brought the accused to the police station.