'Illegal' Religious Conversion Row: Police Teams Visit Maharashtra's Chimbipada Village, Probes US Citizen James Watson's Role

Bhiwandi, Maharashtra: In the latest development in the alleged illegal religious conversion incident in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi involving an American citizen James Watson and two Indians, two teams of Bhiwandi police reached the village where Watson held a meeting to investigate the matter.

According to information, the police team is recording statements of people of the village to know who all were present during the meeting, to know how many times James Watson visited the village and how many people Watson established contact with in the village.

Police is also trying to find out more information about James Watson and his whereabouts.

On October 4, 2025, Bhiwandi police in Thane, Maharashtra, arrested 58-year-old American James Watson and two Indian nationals, Sainath Sarape and Manoj Kolha, for allegedly holding an unauthorized prayer meeting in Chimbipada village. The trio is accused of attempting to convert locals to Christianity by promising miraculous healing and financial prosperity, violating Maharashtra’s anti-conversion laws. Watson, on a business visa, is also charged with breaching visa conditions.

Thane Rural police stated that Sainath Sarape, James Watson and Manoj Kolha are booked under Various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) (299,302, 3(5),223, 126 (2), Foreign Nationals Act (section 14) and the anti-superstition law of Maharashtra (section 3).

The arrests followed villager complaints, and police are investigating potential ties to a broader conversion network and foreign funding. Watson, who is a former US military officer is also suspected of having possible CIA links.

Also Read: Amid Rising Hate Crimes Against Indians in US, Here's a List of Incidents of Violence in 2025