Two districts in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, have created dedicated police cells to monitor and prevent religious conversion, with authorities claiming the move responds to what they describe as growing conversion activities in the region.
Sitapur district launched the state’s first such unit with seven police personnel, while Meerut followed by establishing its cell at the Crime Branch office. The Sitapur cell comprises an inspector, two sub-inspectors, and four constables, tasked with gathering intelligence and conducting operations across nine areas including Sidhauli, Sakran, Sadarpur, and Talgaon.
Police records show multiple arrests in recent weeks. In Sitapur’s Katsariya area, seven people from Lakhimpur, Raebareli, Kannauj, and Lucknow were detained on December 12. On December 23, authorities arrested Pastor Elgin Masih, originally from Mohanpur Grant in Lakhimpur and residing in Lucknow’s Itaunja area, while his wife Manisha remains at large. Five more individuals were apprehended in Dubai village of Tambour on December 29, including residents Santosh Buddha from Laharpurka Chaawni, Mishrilal from Vijespur, Gangaram from Supauli, and Surendra Jaiswal and Shivkumar from Dubai village.
The Meerut cell, staffed by three inspectors awaiting training in Lucknow, has taken over four cases registered in the past four months. Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Vipin Tada stated that individuals involved in more than five conversion cases could face charges under the Gangster Act. The unit plans to conduct awareness programmes in educational institutions, including screening “The Kashmir Files” to students, specifically targeting what authorities describe as conversion through “Premjal (love trap)” cases.
Sitapur’s Superintendent of Police Chakresh Mishra stated to the media: “The anti-conversion cell has been formed. This is the first such cell in the state. Positive results will be visible in one-two months. This cell will take action by gathering confidential information about activities. After this, their network will be searched and destroyed.”
Police investigations have allegedly pointed to international financial links. A 2022 case involving David Asthana and five others in Sitapur reportedly revealed transactions of approximately 600,000 rupees from twelve individuals across the United States, Brazil, and South Korea, according to police records.
According to police officials in Sitapur, conversion activities first emerged in the district’s Shahbazpur area approximately a decade ago through David Asthana, who allegedly conducted healing sessions and what authorities term as inducements. The new cells will gather confidential information about such activities and investigate associated networks.
The Meerut cell’s responsibilities include investigating the sources of funding for conversion activities and identifying locations where, according to police, conversion plans are orchestrated. The cell will report directly to the Superintendent of Police (Crime), with fortnightly meetings scheduled with the district police chief to review progress.
Police have listed Laharpur, Hargaon, Rampur Mathura, Tambaur, and Mishrik among the areas under surveillance. Officials state they aim to intervene before conversion activities occur and will maintain detailed records of previous cases, while also examining the role of family members in conversion cases.
