Last updated: December 29, 2022, 2:00 PM IST
UP police have sent messages to the chancellor, vice chancellor and an administrative officer of an agricultural university based in Prayagraj (representative image)
According to the police, an FIR against alleged illegal religious conversion was filed with Kotwali police station on April 15 and 56 people were booked
The Uttar Pradesh police has sent notices to the chancellor, vice chancellor and an administrative officer of an agricultural university in Prayagraj in connection with a case of illegal conversion filed here, the police said on Wednesday.
According to the police, an FIR against alleged illegal religious conversion was filed with Kotwali Police Station on April 15 and 56 people were booked. Fifty-three of the suspects are out on bail, while three people are in hiding.
Confirming the development, Amit Mishra, Investigation Officer on the matter said, “Notices have been sent to Chancellor Dr Jetti Oliver, Vice Chancellor Bishop Rajendra B Lal and Administrative Officer Vinod B Lal of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Science (SHUATS ) to record their statements. A message has also been sent to Bishop Paul, a resident of Prayagraj.” SHUATS is an agricultural university in Uttar Pradesh established more than a century ago.
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“The notice was issued on Monday and the four have been asked to appear at Kotwali Police Station on December 29 to record their statements,” Mishra added.
During the investigation, it was discovered that foreign funding had been received for the purpose of illegal conversion. It was also found that some of this money was transferred from the UK to the bank account of Administrative Officer Vinod B Lal, which was distributed to the accused of the case here. The university officials have been summoned for questioning on this matter,” he said.
According to the complaint, illegal religious conversion of people from poor backgrounds took place in the Evangelical Church of India in the Hariharganj area of Fatehpur.
The church pastor, Vijay Masih, became the prime suspect in the case. He was arrested after the FIR, but is currently out on bail.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed)
