Rumours Of Forced Religious Conversion By 'Pani Wale Baba' Grips Bihar Village

Last Updated:February 25, 2026, 14:50 IST

Locals in Chatar accused a faith healer, locally known as 'Pani Wale Baba', of encouraging villagers to change their religion under the guise of healing rituals involving water

Tension briefly gripped a village in Bihar’s Bhojpur district after allegations of forced religious conversion surfaced, prompting police intervention and an official inquiry that has so far found no evidence to support the claims.

The incident occurred on Monday, February 23, in Chatar village under the Barhara police station area, where residents of Pakdiya Tola and Bind Toli accused a man, locally known as ‘Pani Wale Baba’, of encouraging villagers to change their religion under the guise of healing rituals involving water.

According to villagers, the man was allegedly distributing religious literature said to have been brought from Nepal and speaking about religious conversion. As word spread, anger grew among local residents, who alleged that members of the Mahadalit community were being misled in the name of treatment and miracles. Some local activist groups were also informed, leading to a gathering of people and a brief period of unrest in the area.

However, several women present at the site rejected the allegations, stating that the man had only been treating people with water-based rituals and had not promoted any religious conversion.

Following information about the incident, a team from Barhara police station reached the village and began questioning residents. The man is reportedly a native of Muzaffarpur and is believed to be associated with Christianity. When police attempted to take him for questioning, some women allegedly protested and pushed the personnel, allowing the man to leave. The situation remained tense for some time, forcing the police team to withdraw.

However, acting on the instructions of the SP, SDPO (Sadar-2) Ranjit Kumar Singh visited the village, interacted with residents and conducted an enquiry. Singh said no concrete evidence of religious conversion had been found so far. According to Singh, the man had visited the village for treatment purposes and several women recorded statements in his support.

Under existing laws, forced or induced religious conversion is a punishable offence, and police action can be initiated only after proper investigation. Officials said that no confirmed case of religious conversion has been registered at Barhara police station so far.

The incident continues to be discussed among villagers, with some describing it as a rumour while others have demanded a thorough probe. Police have appealed to residents to maintain peace and avoid drawing conclusions before the investigation is completed.

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