Investigation Clears Gwalior School of Religious Conversion Allegations: All 26 Students Confirmed as Born Christians

Officials confirmed that the children involved came from five different states. (Representative)

A thorough investigation conducted by the district administration has concluded that allegations of religious conversion of children at St Joseph School in Gwalior district, Madhya Pradesh, were completely unfounded.

The probe into the Badagaon school revealed that all 26 children studying at the institution were already practicing Christian-Catholics. Documentation reviewed during the investigation confirmed their religious background.

Officials reported that these students had traveled from five states - Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Kerala - to receive skill development training after completing their high school education. The investigation team, headed by SDM NC Gupta, found no evidence of conversion activities either at the school or within the Bishop's Residence Complex located on campus.

"No activities related to religious conversion were found during the inspection," stated the official report.

Following this vindication, both the school management and the Christian missionary organization expressed relief and called for action against those who they believe "conspired to defame" the institution and "disrupt communal harmony" in Gwalior.

Father Harshil AX explained that the children were simply receiving skill training in Hindi and English, emphasizing that the organization has always operated with transparency. "Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's ancestors provided us with land in this city to deliver quality education. Our focus has always been on uplifting children through education, not conversion," he stated.

Pratap Toppo, President of the Roman Catholic Diocese of India, urged authorities to identify and take action against those spreading false information. "This appears to be an attempt to damage our reputation and disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the city. We fully support the investigation and expect strict action against those responsible," he remarked.

The controversy initially erupted when Hindu organizations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and BJP representatives, alleged that 26 tribal children were undergoing religious conversion at the Bishop's Residence Complex. In response to these allegations, district administration and police officials visited the premises, interviewed the children, and examined their documents, which confirmed that all were born into Christian families.

VHP leader Pappu Verma had previously claimed that children from impoverished tribal families were brought from other states for conversion purposes. The official investigation has now disproven these allegations, effectively resolving what could have escalated into a sensitive communal issue in the region.