Conversion mischief foiled; three missionaries arrested in MP

Police today claimed to have arrested three in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh preachers for allegedly attempting to convert tribals to Christianity

"’The religious preachers, associated with the Church of Nazreen, were arrested from a lodge here in the early hours while camping along with 22 tribals from Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh on their way to Nagpur for a religious congregation,” the police said.

Pravain Pawar and his son Sanat Pawar, both residents of the city, and Macleen Masih, a resident of Dindori, were arrested under section 420 IPC and section four of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, Deputy Inspector General of Police Upendra Jain said.

Mr Jain told UNI that documents relating to the ”Churches of Nazreen”, along with 35 tickets of a private bus had been recovered from them.

”The accused had admitted that the poor tribals were being taken to Nagpur for conversion,” he said, adding they were also planning to take ten people to Nagpur for conversion.

The tribals, who were allegidly provided money, had been brought here and put up at a lodge on way to Nagpur, Mr Jain added.

Of them, three tribals had been converted to Christianity earlier, Mr Jain said. One of the accused, Macleen Masih, who had been residing in Dindori for a long time, was facing the allegation of religious conversion of tribals for a long time.

The father-son duo, who hailed from Amrawati, Maharashtra, was staying in the city’s Civil Lines area since a long time and had embraced Christianity.
Police raided the lodge on a tip-off from Hindu Raksha Manch leader Sudhir Agrawal, Mr Jain added.

A mob of agitated people gheraoed the lodge and assaulted the accused. Bajrang Dal workers, who gathered there, resorted to slogan -shouting.