NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh police have told the Supreme Court Vice Chancellor R B Lal and director, administration V B Lal of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS), Prayagraj are "major conspirators" behind illegal conversion of marginalised sections of Hindu and Muslim society into Christianity by use of threats, coercion and allurements like, job, money and "beautiful girls" in marriage.
Opposing any relief to the duo, the police alleged they had received over Rs 34 crores from several foreign countries and diverted it for illegal conversion.
"The incident of the present FIR had given rise to a situation of communal tension and social disharmony and the petitioner has not cooperated in the investigation despite protection from arrest," it said.
The police also alleged V B Lal is a person with "notorious criminal mind, who is involved in at least 38 cases of various nature including cheating, murders across the state since last two decades".
The police claimed during the course of investigation, it has been found that the since 2005 around Rs 34,44,54,855.00 has been received in the FCRA account of SHUATS from various countries including USA, Afghanistan, Japan, Libya Iraq, Germany, Canada, Guyana, Uganda, Ethopia, Bahrain, Netherlands, Phillipines, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Australia, Nepal, Bhutan and Nigeria.
The funds are received from foreign countries to SHUATS from where it is transmitted to the "Yeshu Darbar Trust" and further distributed in cash to the Pastors of the churches involved in the said offence as well as staff of Broadwell hospital which further uses the said money for illegal conversion of the marginalised people of Hindu and Muslim faith to Christianity by allurement and fraud, the police alleged in a written document.
It also claimed during searches conducted at an organization named Word Vision, India Branch, Civil Lines, Fatehpur, certain pamphlets and documents were seized advertising the benefits of conversion to Christianity as well as the list of items used for alluring people.
The affidavit filed by Circle Officer, Fatehpur, stated pamphlets so found also mentioned that an amount of Rs 35,000 will be given to people who get themselves converted to Christianity and further if someone induces other people to get converted to Christianity then they will get an extra bonus amount, furthermore, if someone becomes preacher of Christianity then will be provided a monthly salary of Rs 25,000 and if some person converts 5 to 10 people then will get extra bonus amount.
It also stated the pastor of Evangelical Church of India, Hariharganj, Fatehpur informed the authorities that he and his accomplices have been converting Hindus and Muslims by alluring them, they also manipulate names in documents for this purpose.
"Entire process of conversion is completed in 40 days, they also attempt to convert patients that visit missionary hospitals, and many hospital staff is also involved in this process", it claimed.
The police also cited statements of several witnesses who stated that the accused induced them to convert other people for money and "getting married to beautiful girls".
"The petitioner has been named by several witnesses of the case including the victims stating him to be the main perpetrator of the offence, who has been receiving and illegally using foreign funds in violation of law for the purpose of committing the offence," it said.
The present case arose out of Police Station Kotwali, Fatehpur Case Crime No. 224 of 2022 for offences under sections 153A, 506, 420, 467, 468 of Indian Penal Code and sections 3, 5(1) of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act.
On April 14, 2022, locals informed about forcible conversion of Hindus and Muslims into Christianity in Evangelical Church of India situated at Hariharganj, Fatehpur to the Hindu rights organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Upon this information, the police reached at the said church, where it was found that about 90 Hindus and Muslims are being subjected to conversion.
The police also cited the statement of several witnesses recorded before judicial magistrate stating that the duo used to give people employment in the university if they got converted into Christianity and also used to get foreign funds for doing it.
Another witness accused them of making fake societies to get people converted to Christianity by alluring them by money and getting them married.
One of the witnesses stated that he was induced to visit church every day for 40 days and thereafter he was congratulated that he was now a Christian to which he had protested and that there were many other people there in the church as well who were getting converted to Christianity, the police claimed.
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