Odisha Police Raid Hotel In Bhubaneswar Amid Allegation Of Conversion Bid
According to sources, police received information alleging that a group was conducting activities linked to religious conversion inside the hotel room.
Bhubaneswar: A controversy erupted in Odisha’s capital on Wednesday after allegations surfaced regarding suspected religious conversion activities being conducted from a hotel room in the Nayapalli area of Bhubaneswar.
Acting on specific inputs, the Commissionerate Police raided a hotel room in Nayapalli, triggering tension in the locality and protests by local residents gathered outside the premises.
According to sources, police received information alleging that a group was conducting activities linked to religious conversion inside the hotel room. A police team subsequently reached the spot and reportedly broke open the room lock during the operation.
The raid led to a tense atmosphere in the area, with local residents raising objections and demanding strict action if any illegal activity was found.
During the search, police allegedly seized several Bibles and other Christian religious literature from the room. Four persons present at the location were detained for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.
However, police officials have not yet confirmed whether the gathering involved religious preaching or any form of illegal or forced religious conversion.
Residents staged protests at the scene and urged authorities to take stringent action if any violation of the law is established.
Police said statements of the detained individuals, hotel staff and witnesses are being recorded, while further legal action will depend on the findings of the investigation.
“They were allegedly calling people and holding a meeting related to religious conversion at the hotel. We reached the spot and detained some persons for questioning. We also found several Bibles and Christianity-related books there. Those materials have been seized, and the detained individuals will be interrogated,” ACP Zone-5 Biswaranjan Senapati told media persons.
