JAIPUR: The Udaipur Police has arrested 11 people, including some religious preachers from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, over allegations of forced religious conversion at Kanuwada Bilkhai village in the Rishabdev police station area.
While complaints of religious conversion in the tribal areas of Southern Rajasthan have surfaced in the past, this is the first time that the police have taken major action in this regard.
The arrests took place in Kanuwada Bilkhai village, 80 kms from Udaipur district headquarters and located within the jurisdiction of the Rishabhdeo police station.
Following allegations from a resident that religious conversions were being orchestrated at a prayer meeting, the police detained 11 individuals at the scene. All arrested individuals are being interrogated.
The complaint said that a prayer meeting had been underway in the village for the past two days, which was allegedly a cover to convert gullible villagers through inducements or persuasion. The complainant stated that he had been personally invited and offered incentives to change his religion, with promises of financial assistance in return.
Recognising the sensitivity of the matter, Police teams raided the venue and took 11 people into custody for questioning. Rishabhdeo SHO Hemant Ahari stated that "a prayer meeting led by a resident named Babulal had been underway in Kanuwada Bilkhai village for the past two days. People from more than 20 surrounding villages had been invited. On receiving the complaint, the police reached the location and found over 200 people. They were being encouraged to renounce Hinduism and convert to Christianity. The Police have detained 11 individuals, including some from other states. All of them are being interrogated, and their documents and past activities are under scrutiny."
Ahari added that the police are currently verifying the veracity of the allegations made in the complaint. The investigation is seeking to determine the purpose of the gathering and the nature of the information or messages being conveyed to those present.
Udaipur DSP Rajiv Rahar asserted that the accused are being interrogated and their mobile phones are being examined. These steps will reveal the extent of their network and the locations where they have previously held religious gatherings in a bid to convert people.
Further details will emerge only after the interrogation.
Religious conversions in Udaipur, particularly in rural and tribal belts, have surfaced in the past due to allegations of fraudulent activities, leading to police interventions and interfaith tensions. But now, Rajasthan strictly regulates conversions under the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025, which has made conversions highly regulated.
Under the Act, the burden of proving that a conversion was not forced or unlawful falls entirely on the accused, which often complicates bail proceedings for defendants. Even voluntary conversions under this tough Act require an application to the District Magistrate (DM) at least 60 days in advance.
