Strong backlash follows demolition linked to allegations of forced religious conversions in Sehore district.
Authorities in the Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh took action on Monday, demolishing portions of a house owned by Jabbar Khan. Khan has faced accusations of forcible religious conversion and allegedly conducting Christian prayer meetings. The demolition followed an incident on August 18 when members of Hindutva groups, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, reportedly searched Khan’s residence after receiving information about alleged forced conversions taking place there.
At the time of the search, a prayer meeting was allegedly occurring inside the house, leading to a heated confrontation between the attendees and the members of the Hindutva groups. This altercation was captured on video, which subsequently circulated widely on social media platforms. The footage was shared by an Instagram user in association with an account linked to Bajrang Dal Sehore, claiming that the police had acted based on information regarding a religious conversion racket in the area.
The video also depicted the Bible and other Christian literature present in the home, along with Jabbar Khan, who identified himself and stated that the gathering was a prayer meeting that had been ongoing for two years. He emphasized that the individuals present belonged to various faiths. Reports indicate that members of Bajrang Dal threatened attendees during the incident, and another video surfaced showing police officers at the location. An unnamed officer from the Sehore Police Station dismissed the claims of religious conversion, asserting that all individuals present retained their original names and had not converted to any other religion.
Furthermore, the officer mentioned that the prayer meetings were held every Sunday without complaints of coercion. Despite this, a case was reportedly filed against Jabbar Khan and his wife, Tahira Khan, under the 2021 Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act. News sources also indicated that Jabbar Khan had been arrested. In addition, a police officer present during the prayer meeting was suspended from duty.
In the aftermath of the incident, the local municipality issued a notice to Jabbar Khan, demanding that he provide a construction permit for his home within a stipulated time frame of 15 days. However, it was reported that this permit was not submitted. Allegations surfaced suggesting that Khan had constructed an upper floor of the house without the necessary permissions and was involved in activities related to conversions.
While Indian law does not permit property demolition as a punitive measure, this practice has reportedly become frequent in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Notably, the Supreme Court had previously declared the demolition of properties belonging to individuals accused of crimes as illegal, reinforcing that proper procedures must be followed before removing allegedly illegal constructions.
