An illegally operating unregistered church in an all-Hindu village in Pune district of Maharashtra has been forced to stop operations following intervention by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo.
The action came after a formal complaint was filed by Swati Goel Sharma, editor of Rashtra Jyoti, in June following opposition by a local Dalit family citing sustained pressure to convert to Christianity.
The church, which had operated for seven years under the guise of a “stuti bhawan” (prayer hall) was, as per several villagers, a hotbed of fraudulent conversion activity targeting poor families – primarily from the SC Matang and NT (Nomadic Tribe) Dhangar communities.
In a field visit by Swati in July, villagers confirmed that the centre had stopped operating. They said Pune police chief personally intervened after NHRC notice.
Background: The Rahul Gaikwad Case
The trigger for this intervention was a May 1 complaint by Rahul Maruti Gaikwad, a 39-year-old man from SC Matang jaati from Uchalevasti locality in Taklihaji village of Shirur taluka in Pune.
Rahul alleged that a group of seven men, including his crypto-convert neighbour Prashant Ghode, approached him and his wife in an attempt to forcibly convert them to Christianity through insults of their deity, psychological pressure and false claims of miraculous healing.
The group, according to Rahul, claimed Jesus alone could cure his children’s ailments and financial problems. “They used my children’s illnesses to claim my gods were powerless,” Rahul told Rashtra Jyoti.
Police filed FIR No. 299/2025 under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those dealing with religious insult and incitement to communal hatred. All seven accused were arrested, though later granted bail.
Illegal Church Operated as ”Stuti Bhawan”
As Rashtra Jyoti’s ground investigation revealed, the alleged evangelism had been brewing for seven years, with Prashant Ghode – locally known as “pastor” – having constructed a “stuti bhawan” (translated in English as ‘prayer hall’) opposite Rahul’s home. This structure, marked by a cross and photo of Jesus (since removed), was operating illegally without any official permit – as required by law.
In its complaint to NHRC, Rashtra Jyoti cited a recent Madras High Court judgement that explicitly states that any premises used regularly for prayer, preaching and religious congregation must obtain official approval to operate as a prayer hall or church. No such permission was ever granted in this case.
As per Rahul and other villagers, during Hindu festivals like Gudi Padwa and Ram Navami, and even during sensitive occasions like funerals, the prayer hall would blare loud evangelical sermons using loudspeakers. On May 1, villagers asked the centre to pause the broadcasts as an elderly woman had passed away. Their request was ignored.
The same day, Rahul complained to police. In an interaction over the phone after filing the cas, Rahul said he was receiving threats to his life by the pastor and his accomplices.
NHRC Action and the Closure
Upon receiving Rashtra Jyoti’s complaint and field evidence, NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo directed local authorities to investigate the case. Following this directive, the hall was shut down, although police have not confirmed whether the closure is permanent.
A police officer at Shirur station told Rashtra Jyoti:
“The place is closed for now. It’s true that the activities there had created tension. We are watching the situation.”
Rahul said, “I may be poor, but I will not give up my Dharma,” he said. “What they did in the name of ‘prayer’ was conversion and spreading hatred. And now that truth is finally being exposed.”
- Read the original report by Rashtra Jyoti on Rahul Gaikwad’s complaint here.
- Read the notice by NHRC to Pune police below:
Rashtra Jyoti’s view:
This is not an isolated case. Across India, such ‘prarthana sabhas’ are mushrooming in vulnerable areas and conducting systematic, covert conversions. It is time the nation and administration wake up to this network operating in the shadows.
