Police have booked a pastor at a Kalka church for duping a scrap dealer of ₹40 lakh on the promise of sending his 20-year-old son abroad.
The pastor, identified as Sanjay Kaushik, a resident of Kalka, has been booked on the complaint of Bittu, who lives in Marranwala village, Pinjore.
Bittu narrated to 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, where he would preach about Christianity. He told him that he will receive a salary, but he will have to arrange funds for his 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. To process his visa file, Kaushik took a total of ₹40 lakh between August 2022 and April 2023, during which he visited their house regularly, and also took Kabir to Indonesia and Singapore for tours.
Bittu alleged that on April 23 this year, Kaushik brought Kabir’s US visa and tickets at their house, and took him along. For the next three days, there was no contact with his son, before he returned home and locked himself in a room.
{{/usCountry}}Bittu alleged that on April 23 this year, Kaushik brought Kabir’s US visa and tickets at their house, and took him along. For the next three days, there was no contact with his son, before he returned home and locked himself in a room.
{{/usCountry}}After the family coaxed him, he 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 he neither kept his promise nor returned the money. He further alleged that the pastor forcibly converted his son through allurement of living abroad.
On his complaint, police booked Kaushik 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 on Friday. The accused is yet to be arrested.