Representative image showing a police officer.
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Pilibhit: Authorities in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit have initiated a probe into allegations of widespread conversion of Sikhs to Christianity, officials said.
The probe was launched after a delegation from a Sikh body brought the matter to the authority’s notice.
District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh said on Saturday, "A delegation of Sikhs met us on Friday alleging large-scale illegal conversion of Sikhs. I have directed the sub-divisional magistrate of Puranpur to look into the matter along with the district police."
During the meeting on Friday, members of the All India Sikh Punjabi Welfare Council claimed that approximately 3,000 Sikhs have recently been converted to Christianity.
They also submitted a list of 160 families to the authorities, alleging that they have been converted.
Harpal Singh Jaggi, a member of the delegation, told mediapersons, "Nepali pastors are forcibly converting individuals through inducements." He also referred to an event held in February where 180 families reportedly "returned home" to Sikhism.
Claiming that such illegal conversions have been taking place in the border villages of the region since 2020, Jaggi said the gullible victims were lured with pressure, temptations, and false promises to cure ailments.
On May 13, an FIR was registered against eight named and several unknown accused at the Hazara police station on charges of illegal conversion.