Daijiworld Media Network - Jaipur
Jaipur, Sep 4: In a significant operation, police in Rajasthan's Alwar district uncovered an illegal religious conversion racket operating from a private hostel in Udyog Nagar. Two individuals were arrested for allegedly coercing children from impoverished families into religious conversion under the guise of providing free education and shelter.
According to Superintendent of Police Sudhir Chaudhary, the police acted on a tip-off about suspicious activities at the Friends Missionary Prayer Band hostel located in Sayyat Colony, Goleta.
During the raid, officers found children being taught Christian doctrines and allegedly exposed to content critical of their native religions, including Hinduism and Sikhism. Authorities seized documents, digital evidence, and conducted discreet interviews with the children, some of which were video recorded while officers posed in plain clothes.
Initial investigations suggest that the accused targeted economically disadvantaged families, enticing them with promises of free boarding and education for their children, only to subject them to religious indoctrination.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
• Bodhar Amrit (44) from Chitkoda Himmatnagar, Gujarat
• Sohan Singh (34) from Bandholi in Alwar’s Ramgarh region
Police confirmed that the hostel was affiliated with Friends Missionary Prayer Band (FMPB), a Chennai-based organisation. Notably, several people linked to the same group—including some of those now arrested—had been previously detained in a similar case but were out on bail.
No central agencies were involved in this particular bust. The operation was executed by a special task force under the leadership of ASP Kamlesh Sharan Gopinath (IPS) and CO Ramgarh Sunil Prasad Sharma, with Udyog Nagar SHO Ajit Singh Badsara leading the ground team.
Authorities have now issued a public appeal, encouraging citizens to report any such illegal conversion activities. Information can be sent to the police via WhatsApp at 8764502201, with assurances that all identities will be kept strictly confidential.