Kathmandu, May 7

Police today arrested three women from Sitapaila on the charge of forcefully converting people’s religion.

Police arrested 41-year-old Sumitra Gauli, a resident of Kaski Machyankot Rural Municipality, currently residing in Sitapaila; Radhika Maharjan aged 36 a resident of KMC-14 and  Phooldevi Bhattarai, 43, of Bharatpur in the case.

The women have been charged with forced conversion of religion. In an FIR with specification filed by Laxmi Bhattarai aged 38 of Bharatpur, the women have been charged with luring her to change her religion with the promising of employment.

The FIR was filed on May 4. “In the case Phooldevi had told Laxmi to meet Radhika for employment and Radhika had taken her to a church in Sitapaila. Gauli then forcefully caught her hands and recited Bible lessons to change her religion,” said Mohan Kumar Thapa Metropolitan Police Office spokesperson.

According to Thapa all the three have been taken into the custody after extending their custody to seven days from Kathmandu District Court. Police has started  further investigation into the case.