Case Summary

In Cooch Behar, West Bengal, an elderly Hindu woman named Minati Barman, appealed for help stating that her only son, Baban Barman (22), has been abducted by his Muslim in-laws and was forcibly converted to Islam. According to Minati, her son Baban got married to a Muslim woman. She stated that the father of her daughter-in-law Amin-ul-Haque, has held the victim captive and is now trying to convert him to Islam. Furthermore, she also stated that even her daughter-in-law wants Baban converted. She broke down in tears, stating, “They have taken away my son”. As of the date of writing this report, a complaint was filed by the victim's mother on June 22, 2025, but no concrete action was taken, and her son was still missing.

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Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the Undecided database due to the absence of credible evidence establishing a religious motive behind the incident. While the mother, Minati Barman, has accused her Muslim daughter-in-law’s family, particularly Amin-ul-Haque, of abducting her son and attempting to forcibly convert him to Islam, the victim, Baban Barman, is an adult, and as such, he has the legal autonomy to make personal decisions, including decisions about his marriage and religion. In the absence of a clear statement from Baban himself or from the police verifying her statements or any other credible authority, this case cannot be added to the Hate crime database. If Baban were a minor, or if there were verified evidence of religious coercion or abduction, the case would have qualified for inclusion in the Hate Crime Tracker under the category of Predatory Proselytisation. However, until such evidence is available or the victim’s testimony is obtained, the case cannot be added to the tracker and will remain in the Undecided category. If, in the future, information emerges regarding the religious motive, this case would be classified accordingly.