ALAPPUZHA: The Haripad police have asked three US tourists to quit the country following complaints that they along with some local pastors were trying to convert financially backward Hindu families to Christianity in the Thrikkunnapuzha coastal area here.Harippad Circle Inspector J Santhosh Kumar told Express that the tourists were asked to leave the country as they had flouted the norms by trying to organise meetings in the area, involving the locals. Shelly Louise Deeds, 50, a nurse in Pennsylvania, her daughter Katelyn Heather Deeds,15, and Diane Gean Harrington, a teacher at Wisconsin, had arrived here on June 10 on tourist visas valid till November 2011. “We could not collect any evidence in connection with their conversion activities. However, we got a complaint that the three had visited several houses in the area belonging to Hindus. They also organised prayers and asked the financially backward people in the area to attend the meetings. The people were also offerred incentives,” the police said.“We are collecting the details of the activities of the three pastors Sabu, 47, Jacob, 34, and James, 45, hailing from Kottayam,” the police said and added that they had contacted the US Embassy to inform them about the incident.“The tourists will leave India soon,” the police said.
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