US citizen among three arrested for allegedly attempting 'illegal conversions' in Maharashtra village
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "US citizen among three arrested for allegedly attempting 'illegal conversions' in Maharashtra village")
For representational purpose only Photograph: (Unsplash)
A US national and two locals were arrested in Bhiwandi for allegedly trying to convert villagers at a prayer meet. They were booked under religious and visa violation laws
The Bhiwandi taluka police on Friday (October 3) arrested a 58-year-old American national and two local men for allegedly attempting to convert villagers in Chimbipada, Thane district. The accused have been identified as James Watson, a US citizen currently residing in Thane; Sainath Ganpati Sarpe, 42, from Palghar; and Manoj Govind Kolha, 35, a resident of Chimbipada.
According to officials, the trio held a prayer gathering outside Kolha’s home on Friday evening, which was attended by around 35 villagers. During the meeting, Watson and his associates allegedly read from religious texts brought in a vehicle and delivered sermons promoting Christianity. A complaint filed by local resident Ravinath Bhurkut alleged that the group told villagers that Hinduism was based on superstition and claimed converting to Christianity would bring joy and prosperity. They also purportedly said illnesses could be cured through Christian prayers and wine distributed as “prasad.”
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The complaint further said that Watson asked about unwell children, noted down the names of four girls, and allegedly detained them briefly while he placed his hands on their foreheads, claiming to transfer “divine healing power.” Police have charged the accused under Sections 299 and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for outraging religious sentiments, as well as under the Foreigners Act for visa misuse and Maharashtra’s 2013 anti-black magic law. Senior Inspector Harshavardhan Barve said that Watson had entered the country on a business visa, which he allegedly used for religious activities. “The investigation is continuing,” he further added.
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