A religious conversion racket has been busted in Thane's Bhiwandi area of Maharashtra, leading to the arrest of three people, including an American citizen. The accused have been charged with practising banned religious activities and illegal conversion.
According to police officials, the incident took place in the Chimbipada area of Bhiwandi. Those arrested include 58-year-old American citizen James Watson, along with two Indian nationals — 42-year-old Sainath Sarape and 35-year-old Manoj Kolha. On Friday afternoon, the suspects allegedly organised a meeting outside a villager’s home, where they conducted prayers and distributed Christian religious books.
Police said the accused attempted to convince villagers that embracing Christianity would cure all illnesses and physical ailments. Suspicious of their activities, the villagers alerted the police, who promptly arrived at the scene and detained the three men.
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Officials revealed that the group had been operating in the area for quite some time, misleading villagers under the guise of religious gatherings and prayers. The accused allegedly distributed religious literature and encouraged conversions during these meetings.
The Bhiwandi police confirmed that the arrested individuals have been booked under Various sections of the BNS (299,302, 3(5),223, 126 (2), Foreign Nationals Act (section 14) and the anti-superstition law of Maharashtra( section 3). All three have been arrested. Matter is being investigated further.