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Kalka pastor dupes family of ₹40 lakh for sending son abroad, arrested
The accused has been identified as Sanjay Kaushik, a pastor at Bless Your Faith Church in Kalka. The accused was produced before the local court on Saturday and sent to two-day police custody
Police have arrested a pastor, accused of duping a family of ₹40 lakh in lieu of sending a 20-year-old youth abroad. The family have also alleged that the pastor forcefully converted their son’s religion.
The accused has been identified as Sanjay Kaushik, a pastor at Bless Your Faith Church in Kalka. The accused was produced before the local court on Saturday and sent to two-day police custody.
Police on May 5, had registered a case under Section 24 of the Emigration Act, Section 12 of the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, and Sections 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code at the Pinjore police station against Kaushik on complaint of Bittu, a scrap dealer in Madawala village, Pinjore.
He told the police that his son, Kabir, a Class 10 pass-out, came in contact with Kaushik, who shared that he was a pastor at Bless Your Faith Church in Kalka. After regularly visiting the church, Kabir converted to Christianity and started sporting a crucifix around his neck.
Bittu alleged that eventually, Kaushik promised to send Kabir to the US to work as a preacher. Kaushik told Kabir that he will also receive a salary, but will have to arrange funds for visa and tickets to travel to the US.
The father alleged that thereafter, Kabir took him to meet Kaushik and they paid the pastor ₹6 lakh. Kaushik took a total of ₹40 lakh between August 2022 and April 2023 from the family in the name of processing his visa and tickets, during which he visited their house regularly. The pastor also took Kabir to Indonesia and Singapore for tours, the family said in their complaint.
Youth has a mental breakdown
Bittu alleged that on April 23 this year, Kaushik brought his son’s US visa and tickets to their house and took Kabir along. For the next three days, the family had no contact with their son. On his return, Kabir revealed that the US visa and tickets were fake and that they had been duped. Kabir alleged that he was confined in a hotel room in Delhi for three days by Kaushik, who even threatened to kill him if he disclosed the matter to anyone.
Bittu said ever since, his son was undergoing treatment at a psychiatric hospital in Dharampur, Himachal Pradesh. He said he paid ₹40 lakh to Kaushik after taking loans from his relatives, but the pastor neither kept his promise nor returned the money. He further alleged in his complaint that the pastor forcibly converted his son through the allurement of living abroad.
