A church priest in Rampur district was among the six people arrested for allegedly trying to convince people to adopt Christianity on Christmas day, police officials said on Tuesday.
Rampur superintendent of police (SP) Ashok Kumar Shukla said the accused priest, identified as Polo Messiah, and others were booked under sections 3/5 (1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and sent to jail after producing them in a competent court. He said the case was registered on the basis of a complaint by one Rajeev Yadav.
Another police official said the local police got the information that the priest was gathering people from other communities and attempting to convert them by alluring them with several benefits. He said the police took prompt action and arrested him.
“We will interrogate him further after getting his custody remand,” the police official said.
In a similar case on December 20, the Sitapur district police filed an FIR against a pastor couple in a case of alleged forced religious conversion in the state. They said two Indians and four Brazil nationals had organised a programme in Shahbajpur village under Thangaon police station limits and allegedly lured people to change their religion.
In another incident of religious conversion attempt in Sitapur district, the police arrested three people on December 21.