SEWA NYAYA UTTHAN FOUNDATION
Service. Justice. Inclusion
New Delhi: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo has taken cognisance of a complaint by Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation (SNU) seeking urgent intervention following a sting operation by Dainik Bhaskar that has exposed an organised network allegedly targeting poor and vulnerable villagers through faith-healing claims and religious conversion activities in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district.
The revelations captured in the sting reflect a pattern that the Foundation has repeatedly highlighted over the years – religious conversion, hate preaching, and the systematic brainwashing of poor, vulnerable, and economically distressed individuals through organised networks masquerading as “faith-healing” centres.
Network Targets Distressed Villagers
The Dainik Bhaskar investigation exposed a network operating in Dalrajpur village of Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. As per the report, the network functions through sleeper cells that identify villagers facing poverty, illness, family distress, or other personal hardships.
These individuals are connected to a pastor named Vijay, a Nepal-origin individual who has reportedly been living in the area for nearly 30 years.
To investigate the network, a Dainik Bhaskar reporter posed as a labourer seeking help for his problems.
According to the sting, after being brought before Pastor Vijay, the reporter was told that only “Prabhu” could solve his difficulties and provide relief from his suffering.
Pastor Vijay introduced the reporter to Shivprasad Gautam, a government school teacher, and his wife.
Vijay presented the couple as an example of the benefits of coming into the “sharan” of Prabhu. He told the reporter that all of the couple’s problems had disappeared after they embraced this path.
Pastor Vijay invited the reporter to return for further interaction but imposed a condition: he would first have to stop worshipping Hindu deities and remove his kalawa.
The sting operation recorded Gautam’s wife making the following statement:
“You will have to remove the kalawa, otherwise our prayers will not work on you. We used to keep Gangajal in our home. Vijay told us that it was the Gangajal that was preventing the prayers from taking effect.”
The report further shows Pastor Vijay personally cutting off the reporter’s kalawa.
Every New Family Allegedly Approached
One of the most concerning revelations of the sting concerns the scale and organisation of the network.
According to Dainik Bhaskar, Pastor Vijay’s associates function as sleeper cells and approach every new family entering the village. Such families are allegedly introduced to miracle stories and faith-healing narratives centred around Prabhu and Yeshu.
The report suggests that these efforts are systematically directed towards individuals experiencing vulnerability, hardship, or distress.
A video of the report can be seen here.
SNU Raises Human Rights Concerns
In its representation to NHRC member Shri Priyank Kanoongo, SNU stated that the contents of the sting raise serious human rights concerns regarding efforts to persuade vulnerable individuals to abandon their ancestral Hindu identity through faith-healing claims, denigration of their existing beliefs and traditions, and coercive persuasion.
According to SNU, such conduct strikes at the dignity, cultural rights, and religious freedom of vulnerable communities.
The organisation urged the NHRC to take cognisance of the findings and examine whether vulnerable individuals are being subjected to psychological pressure and religious inducements at moments of illness, poverty, and distress.
Concern Over Involvement of Government School Teacher
SNU has also highlighted the reported involvement of a government school teacher in the network.
The organisation stated that if a public servant funded by taxpayers is participating in activities intended to facilitate religious conversion, the matter warrants immediate scrutiny by the competent authorities.
The foundation has requested that the role of the teacher be thoroughly examined and that all applicable legal and service-rule implications be investigated.
Reservation Status Must Be Verified: SNU
SNU has further requested that if the government teacher concerned is a practising Christian and is availing benefits under the Scheduled Caste reservation framework, the competent authorities should verify the matter in light of Article 341 of the Constitution of India.
The organisation has pointed out that Scheduled Caste status under the constitutional framework is restricted to practising Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs, and any potential violation should be examined by the appropriate authorities.
Note: Founded by Sanjeev Newar and Swati Goel Sharma, Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation works to combat unlawful conversion networks and related human rights abuses, support affected individuals and families, and provide legal assistance and rehabilitation to victims. To Support: sewanyaya.in/support.
