Two persons, including a United States citizen, werearrested for allegedly illegal religious conversions in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi on Friday, the Hindustan Times reported.
The persons accused of involvement in the matter are James Watson, Sainath Ganpati Sarpe and Manoj Govind Kolha. Watson is a US citizen living in the Thane district.
The police alleged that Watson, who had travelled to India on a business visa, was organising a religious event in the Bhuishet area near Bhiwandi without an administrative permission.
Ravindra Bhurkut, the complainant in the matter, said that at about 11.30 am on Friday, he saw some individuals preaching Christianity to 30 to 35 persons in an area opposite Kolha’s home, the Hindustan Times reported.
“They were also saying the Hindu religion is based on blind faith, that there are no other gods, and that one can attain happiness and prosperity by converting to Christianity,” Bhurkut was quoted as having claimed in his complaint.
He also alleged that Watson, Sarpe and Kolha had claimed that illnesses could be cured through prayers to Jesus Christ.
The three persons also asked whether any underage girls were suffering from any illness and made a note of the names of four girls, Bhurkut alleged.
Watson placed his hands on the girls’ foreheads and claimed that he was using “divine powers” to heal them, The Times of India quoted the complainant as having alleged.
Police Inspector Harshwardhan Barve was quoted as saying that the three persons had been booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings and uttering words with deliberate intent to hurt religious feelings.
They have also been booked under provisions of the Foreigners Act for misusing visa norms, and the 2013 Maharashtra anti-black magic law.
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