Ladakh cracks down on conversions
Ladakh Police have stepped up action against reported illegal religious conversions, saying they are concerned about possible effects on the region’s culture and society. Officers have filed FIRs, detained suspects, seized digital devices, and begun investigating suspected foreign funding linked to these cases.
Officials say these steps are a strong response to organised efforts to change the region’s population and culture. The most recent case involves Albert Jerry, who is originally from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, and has lived in Zanskar for 13 years. On 3 July 2026, Zanskar Police filed FIR No. 17/2026 under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after getting a written complaint from Stanzin Shayan, vice president of the Zanskar Buddhist Association. Jerry is accused of missionary work and trying to convert local Buddhists.
Investigators say Jerry spent nearly ten years creating a dictionary of local dialects before translating the Bible into Bodhi and Zanskari. Police investigations found that he launched the “Zanskari Bible” app on the Google Play Store, first using his own name and later under “WIN Publication Trust” to hide his identity. The app has since been removed from all platforms.
Jerry arrived in Ladakh in 2010, worked briefly in Leh, and moved to Zanskar in 2011 to work as a private guide. Over the years, he built connections in the area as a teacher and tourist guide. Locals say he distributed Christian books translated into Ladakhi and gave solar lanterns and food supplies to low-income families and widows. He said he was linked to the Chennai-based NGO “B Team Trust” and confirmed he registered a trust in Zanskar. His wife and two children live in Padum, where the children attend a private school. Jerry’s name appeared on the voter lists for Village Tsazar, and, later, Padum. Still, local objections prevented him from voting in the 2023 LAHDC Kargil and 2024 parliamentary elections in the Zanskar electoral roll.
On 17 June 2026, Ladakh Police conducted another operation against an alleged conversion network in Zanskar, Changthang, and the Aryan Valley. They arrested eight people connected to FIR No. 126/2026. Officers also seized laptops, digital devices, and materials related to religious conversion, including Bibles. These items are now being examined to understand how far the network extends. Ladakh Police say these actions are meant to protect the region’s identity, which they believe is threatened by proselytisation.
Authorities are monitoring financial transactions to determine the extent of outside involvement. Police emphasise that anyone who breaks the law will face legal action and say they are committed to keeping peace, harmony, and Ladakh’s cultural heritage. Officials say these cases reveal ongoing, well-funded, and technology-driven efforts targeting vulnerable Buddhist communities in this sensitive border area.
According to an official statement, “Ladakh Police maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward organised attempts to disturb the region’s demographic and cultural integrity through illegal conversions.” The statement adds that the police are mapping such networks across Ladakh and will take strict legal action against anyone found in violation of the law. It further states that the actions aim to safeguard the region’s socio-cultural fabric and concludes that the police remain committed to protecting peace, harmony, and cultural heritage in Ladakh.
