A serious incident involving an alleged attempt at forced religious conversion and outraging religious sentiments has come to light in the Palghar district of Maharashtra. The event took place on the afternoon of August 21 in Wakadpada village located within Mokhada taluka. Following a complaint lodged by an 18-year-old student, local police took formal legal action and registered a case against 22 women under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Law enforcement authorities are currently conducting a detailed investigation to trace the broader network associated with the group.
Legal Action and Charges Under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
According to information released by the Mokhada police station, Assistant Police Inspector Ajit Sable confirmed that formal charges have been filed. The police registered an initial offence under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, alongside Section 3(5), which addresses acts committed with common intention. A total of 22 women have been named as accused in the FIR. Police stated that two primary suspects have been identified in connection with the incident. One key suspect is 46-year-old Satyavati Balkrishna Kunche, a resident of Ulhasnagar in Thane district, while the second primary suspect is Kusum Shivram Kambdi, a local resident of the Wakadpada area.
Offers of Religious Literature and Healing Claims
In his official statement to the police, the 18-year-old complainant reported that a group of women arrived at his home on Friday afternoon. The primary accused, Satyavati Balkrishna Kunche, offered to give him religious literature free of cost, including copies of the New Testament. She allegedly claimed that reading these books would cure various health ailments and keep individuals safe from diseases. When the student refused to accept the offered religious material, the woman allegedly began making derogatory remarks regarding Hindu deities and religious beliefs. The accused women urged the student to cease worshipping traditional Hindu gods and to adopt Christianity instead, reassuring the family that abandoning Hinduism would resolve all their life struggles and remove all their sorrows.
Local Intervention and Investigation into Hyderabad Links
Following the pressure exerted by the group, the student promptly alerted fellow villagers about the situation. He informed local resident Milind Jole and other villagers, who quickly gathered and intercepted the group of women at the scene before contacting law enforcement. Assistant Police Inspector Ajit Sable stated that preliminary investigations revealed the women had arrived in the village from Hyderabad through contacts established by local resident Kusum Shivram Kambdi. Police officials clarified that a thorough investigation remains ongoing into all aspects of the case, and no arrests have been made so far.
