Maharashtra: US national among two held for religious conversion bid in Pune

Updated On: 28 July, 2025 06:46 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent

The suspects claimed that converting to Christianity would bring the complainant peace, prosperity, and mental well-being. They allegedly told the complainant that Jesus Christ is the only God and that other deities and religions are fictitious, said a police officer

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The complainant claimed that two people tried to convert him by visiting his residence on July 27, police said. Representational Pic/File

A United States of America (USA) national and his aide arrested in Pimpri city of Pune district in Maharashtra were for allegedly trying to convert a man to Christianity by promising financial help, police said on Monday, reported the PTI.

Pimpri Chinchwad Police also apprehended a minor for his alleged role in the incident and later handed him over to his parents.

The accused persons are identified as Schaefer Javin Jacob (41), a resident of California in the US, currently staying near Mukai Chowk in Pune, and Steven Vijay Kadam (46), a resident of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation area, according to the PTI.