Couple who converted to Hinduism from Islam, threatened with life by their Muslim landlord

Case ID : 90a05ad | Location : Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Mon, 13 January, 2025
Case ID : 90a05ad
location Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India
date 13 January, 2025
Couple who converted to Hinduism from Islam, threatened with life by their Muslim landlord
Attack not resulting in death
Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

In Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, a Muslim couple, Imran and his wife, voluntarily converted to Hinduism on 14th January 2025. Imran adopted the name Ishwar following the conversion. When Ishwar's Muslim landlord, Iftekhar, learned about the couple's decision to embrace Hinduism, he became enraged. He threatened Ishwar, demanding that they revert to Islam within 24 hours or face death. The accused, Iftekhar, agitated by their decision to revert to Hinduism, also behaved inappropriately with Ishwar's wife. One day when Ishwar's wife was alone at home, Iftikhar forcibly entered the house and grabbed her wrist, threatening her. He told her that if she did not force her husband to return to the Islamic faith, he would take her as his wife and keep her with him. The woman screamed and called her husband. When Ishwar arrived at the house, the situation escalated. Iftikhar fought with Ishwar and then fled the scene when neighbours gathered. Fearing for their safety, Ishwar and his wife lodged a police complaint against their landlord. Ishwar informed the police that Iftekhar had issued them a 24-hour ultimatum, warning that he would kill them if they did not reconvert to Islam. The police have registered an FIR against Iftekhar in response to the complaint.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the category- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Attacked for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. This incident qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime due to the clear targeting of the victims based on their Hindu identity, which was established following their voluntary conversion. The landlord, Iftekhar, expressed hostility solely because the couple had embraced Hinduism, a decision that conflicted with his own religious beliefs. The threats to kill them, unless they reverted to Islam, underscore the coercion and animosity rooted in religious intolerance. Additionally, the inappropriate behaviour towards Ishwar's wife further highlights the landlord's intent to intimidate and demean the couple, not just as individuals but specifically because of their Hindu faith. This act of harassment and threat, driven by disdain for their religious choice, demonstrates a deliberate attempt to suppress their freedom of religion and expression. Consequently, this case has been added to the tracker.

Victim Details

Total Victim

2

Deceased

0


Gender

  • Male 1
  • Female 1
  • Third Gender 0
  • Unknown 0

Caste

  • SC/ST 0
  • OBC 0
  • General 0
  • Unknown 2

Age Group

  • Minor 0
  • Adult 2
  • Senior Citizen 0
  • Unknown 0
Case Status Background
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Case Status


Complaint filed

Case Status Background
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Perpetrators Details

Perpetrators


Muslim Extremists

Perpetrators Range


One Person

Perpetrators Gender


male

Case Details SVG
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