The Uttar Pradesh Police  claimed to have arrested seven men and booked them for an alleged religious conversion attempt on at least 300 people in Barabanki. The victims, who had gone to Barabanki from different villages of the state, were lured for conversion on the pretext of providing cures for several diseases and other problems.

The arrested accused were identified as Father Dominic Pinto, Dharmaraj, Surendra, Ghanshyam Gautam, Pawan, Suraj, and Sarju Prasad. Besides Father Pinto, all the accused hail from Ayodhya.

According to the police, the alleged conversion attempt took place under the supervision of Father Pinto at the Navinta Prayer Centre and Church located near St Matthew’s College in Barabanki’s Deva area.

The Hindu outfits swung into action immediately after being tipped off about the alleged mass conversion attempt in Barabanki. They not only thwarted it but also informed police. After taking seven men into custody, the police started a probe and registered a case against them under relevant sections of the Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Religious Conversion Prohibition Act, 2021, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“Many people have come here. All of us have not been feeling well for quite some time now. We were told that our diseases would be cured here. We were also told that all our problems would be solved here. Previously, many of our known ones had come here and they got cured,” said one of the 300 people who came from Ayodhya.

A senior police officer said that the cops reached St Matthew’s Church  after receiving the information and foiled the religious conversion attempt. “Seven men have been arrested. We are probing the matter. Stringent action will be taken against those found guilty,” he added.