Surat: Two more individuals have been arrested in an alleged forced religious conversion case in the Mandvi police station area, taking the total number of arrests to four. Among the newly arrested are a primary school teacher and a farmer. The case came to light following a complaint by a woman who alleged that she was coerced into converting to Christianity.

According to the police complaint, the woman was allegedly sexually exploited on the pretext of marriage. The accused, Dr Ankit Chaudhary and his father Ramji Chaudhary, allegedly told her that marriage would be possible only if she converted to Christianity.

Police said Ramji Chaudhary, who works as a principal at a government primary school in Pipalwada village of Mandvi taluka, is also associated with a private trust involved in religious activities. The complainant was allegedly converted on April 20, 2025, on the occasion of Easter.

Investigators claim the accused followed a modus operandi in which people were sent to Dr Chaudhary under the guise of prayers or relief from physical and mental ailments. Women were allegedly influenced by projecting incidents as “miracles” before being persuaded to convert. Police said they are probing the extent of the alleged network, including how many people may have been converted through these methods. Further investigation is underway.

The two arrested accused have been identified as Gurji Kotiya Vasava (50), a primary school teacher from Railwa Mission Phaliyun in Dediapada, and Naveen Chunilal Chaudhary (42) of Luharwad Nishal Phaliyun in Mandvi. Both were produced before the Mandvi Civil Court, which granted their remand till December 22. DeshGujarat