The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognisance of a complaint against a government school teacher and his wife in Uttar Pradesh, seeking an inquiry into allegations that they continued to avail Scheduled Caste (SC) benefits while allegedly professing Christianity.
The complaint pertains to Shiv Prasad Gautam, a government school teacher from Lakhimpur Kheri, and his wife, who were arrested in June 2026 in connection with an alleged illegal religious conversion racket and booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
As per reprots, notices have been issued to the Principal Secretary, Social Welfare Department, the Additional Chief Secretary, Basic Education Department, and the District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri, seeking an inquiry into the allegations.
🚨 OFFICIAL INQUIRY ORDERED INTO LAKHIMPUR SCHOOLTEACHER COUPLE FOR AVAILING SC QUOTA WHILE PREACHING CHRISTIANITY! 🚨
NOTICE ISSUED TO:
📍 Principal Secretary, Social Welfare Dept (UP)
📍 Addl. Chief Secretary, Basic Education Dept (UP)
📍 District Magistrate, Lakhimpur Kheri… pic.twitter.com/iIvxz6jsAs— Rashtra Jyoti (@RashtraJyoti) July 15, 2026
The complaint alleges that despite professing Christianity, the couple continued to claim benefits reserved for Scheduled Castes. Under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, persons professing Christianity are not entitled to claim Scheduled Caste status.
Arrested In Conversion Racket
The inquiry follows the arrest of Pastor Vijay and government school teacher Shiv Prasad Gautam in June 2026 in connection with a religious conversion network operating in Dalrajpur village in Lakhimpur Kheri district, near the Uttar Pradesh-Nepal border.
The arrests followed an undercover investigation by Dainik Bhaskar, in which a reporter reportedly spent 20 days posing as a labourer in the village to probe allegations of large-scale conversions of Hindus to Christianity.
According to the report, members of the alleged conversion network approached the undercover reporter and allegedly offered inducements to convert. Hidden camera recordings published as part of the investigation purportedly exposed the activities of the network.
Following the publication of the report, Lakhimpur Kheri police raided an alleged secret church on June 6. Although the accused initially escaped, Pastor Vijay and Shiv Prasad Gautam were arrested on June 8, produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
Complaint Under Anti-Conversion Law
As reported in Bhaskar English, the case was registered after Mohit Chaudhary, a member of the Tharu community, lodged a complaint alleging that Pastor Vijay and Shiv Prasad Gautam pressured him to convert to Christianity.
Mohit alleged that he was taken to Dalrajpur, where he was promised money if he embraced Christianity. He further alleged that when he refused, the accused threatened to kill him.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case against the accused under relevant provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
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