A major religious conversion racket has been busted in Bhiwandi, Thane district, Maharashtra, leading to the arrest of three individuals, including an American national identified as James Watson – allegedly an army veteran. The arrests were made on Friday, 3 October 2025, following a police complaint and subsequent raids by the local administration.
The accused have been identified as James Watson (58), a U.S. citizen residing in Thane’s Hiranandani Estate; Sainath Ganpati Sarpe (42), a resident of Vasai; and Manoj Govind Kolha (35), from Bhulshet, Chimbipada. Watson, who had reportedly entered India on a business visa, is alleged to have organised religious gatherings without obtaining the required official permissions.
The incident came to light after Ravindra Bhurkut (27) lodged a complaint at the Bhiwandi Taluka Police Station. In his statement, Bhurkut said that around 11:30 AM on Friday, he witnessed a group preaching Christianity to about 30–35 villagers outside Kolha’s residence. The group allegedly made derogatory remarks about Hinduism, describing it as a religion based on “blind faith,” and urged people to convert to Christianity, claiming that doing so would bring “happiness and success.”
According to the complaint, the accused also told attendees that prayers to Jesus Christ could cure illnesses, and inquired if any underage girls were unwell. They reportedly wrote down the names of four girls and placed their hands on the girls’ foreheads, claiming to have “healed” them through divine powers before leaving the location.
⚡ BREAKING: US national arrested for illegal conversion bid in Bhiwandi; claimed to cure illnesses:
Maharashtra police in Bhiwandi arrested a 58-year-old US national, who is in India on a business visa, and two local residents for allegedly attempting to convert villagers in… pic.twitter.com/19WoTusj7S
— OSINT Updates (@OsintUpdates) October 5, 2025
⚡ WATCH: Maharashtra Police arrested an US national named James Watson from Bhiwandi for luring villagers to convert to Christianity by promising them fake cures and prosperity. https://t.co/E7MHBEYUGH pic.twitter.com/MjskxXbcqs
— OSINT Updates (@OsintUpdates) October 5, 2025
It is noteworthy that Padgha is an area previously linked to a major jihadi module busted a few years ago. That module, according to earlier police investigations, had been planning attacks in Mumbai modeled on the October 7 Hamas-style operations before being intercepted by Maharashtra Police and central agencies.
1. This is not just a US national. This is US army or special Op guy.
2. He wasn’t doing conversion activity alone (that too is illegal but that is cover). He was coordinating with certain villages near Padgha.
3. Padgha is the place where large jihadi module was busted few… https://t.co/t9oLg9KCAp
— Kaal Chiron काल्किरण (@Kal_Chiron) October 5, 2025
Authorities are investigating the extent of the group’s activities in rural Thane and surrounding regions, including possible links to other networks engaged in unauthorised religious propagation.
Police have stated that further action will follow based on evidence recovered from digital devices and local witness statements.
(With inputs from OpIndia)
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.