MUMBAI, India – Three people, including a pastor, have been arrested for allegedly luring poor and underprivileged Hindus to convert to Christianity, officials said on Tuesday.

According to the police the three were allegedly offering inducements to members of weaker sections to convert, reported Press Trust of India (PTI).

A probe has been launched to determine how long the alleged conversion activities had been going on and how many people were involved, police said.

According to siasat.com, Baradari Station House Officer (SHO) Dhananjay Pandey said that a case was registered on October 19 on a complaint by Rishabh Thakur, a resident of Subhash Nagar in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

The complainants alleged that some people associated with a Christian missionary had rented a house in the Super City area, where they were allegedly coercing Hindu women and children to convert under the pretext of religious gatherings and prayer meetings.

Uttar Pradesh, like the national government, is run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with strong links to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a militant Hindu nationalist organization.

Hindu nationalists often accuse Christians of using force and surreptitious tactics in pursuing conversions, often storming into villages and leading “reconversion” ceremonies in which Christians are compelled to perform Hindu rituals.

These pressures on Christians, which also affect Muslims and other religious minorities, are part of what observers describe as a broad program for the “saffronization” of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meaning an attempt to impose Hindu values and identity while squeezing out rival faiths.

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India, with nearly 200 million people. However, only about 350,000 Christians live in the state, a miniscule 0.18 percent of the population.

The police claimed that during interrogation, Pastor Sumit Masey told them that they targeted people from poor, Dalit and socially weaker communities, promising better living conditions and faith healing to induce them into conversion.

Several women and children were allegedly converted using this method, the police said.

A police official said that a preliminary investigation revealed that the group attempted to influence people mentally and emotionally before introducing them to Christian teachings and scriptures.

Bishop Ignatius D’Souza of Bareilly, which is in Uttar Pradesh said the news about the arrest is “indeed concerning and painful.”

“Such incidents often evoke mixed emotions — sorrow, confusion, and at times, frustration — especially when they involve the integrity of one’s faith and ministry,” he told Crux.

“While the law must take its course and truth must prevail, it is equally important that such cases be handled with fairness and without prejudice,” D’Souza said.

“The Church firmly upholds that faith is a free and personal response to God’s grace; any form of coercion or inducement is contrary to genuine evangelization,” he continued.

“At the same time, we cannot ignore the social realities: Many of our Christian communities do serve among the poor, Dalits, and the marginalized — not to ‘target’ them, but to uplift them with dignity and hope. The Gospel mandate to serve ‘the least of these’ must never be misinterpreted as manipulation,” the bishop told Crux.

“This incident calls for deeper reflection on our pastoral approach, greater transparency in our mission works, and renewed emphasis on authentic witness through service and love rather than numbers or conversions. Let us also pray for those involved — both the accused and the accusers — that truth, justice, and peace may prevail,” he said.