A pastor and his son have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur on allegations that they were carrying out forced religious conversions inside a church, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday.

Tensions had escalated in the area on Sunday after members of the Bajrang Dal protested outside the church, alleging that forced conversions were taking place, according to PTI.

The police registered a first information report on the complaint filed by a person Devprakash Paswan, who claimed to have been inside the church during the alleged conversions.

The FIR named the pastor, David Gladwin, his son, Abhishek Gladwin, and another person identified as Johan Vishwas alias KK Bangali.

All three have been arrested, Vinod Kumar Maurya, the station house officer of Radha Nagar police station, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Seven unidentified persons were also booked.

Maurya denied that any person accused in the matter had been assaulted, according to the newspaper.

Virendra Pandey, the state vice president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, also denied that any person had been assaulted on the church premises.

He claimed that members of the Bajrang Dal had gone to the spot after receiving information that forced conversions were taking place. After confirming this, they informed the police, Pandey was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

He added that the police had recorded the names and addresses of those present at the church.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal are part of a group of Hindutva organisations led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

In his complaint, Paswan said that he and two others, Neeraj Paswan and Sushil Raidas, had been called to the church at 10 am on Sunday.

He alleged that the persons accused in the matter had promised money, household items, jobs and free education for children to those present in the church if they converted to Christianity, reported The Indian Express.

Paswan claimed that when they protested, they were offered Rs 1,100 to keep quiet. He alleged that they were also threatened with consequences when they tried to intervene in the alleged conversions.

He also claimed that the persons accused in the matter had previously visited his village, Achgawa, and promised Rs 1,100 for every person brought to the church, according to the newspaper.

The police said the case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections pertaining to deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs and criminal intimidation.

The police also invoked the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.