Hindu transgender community threatened and coerced to convert to Islam by Muslim transgender
Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India 
6 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Chhattisgarh, the Hindu transgender (kinnar) community were pressured to convert to Islam. A Muslim transgender person attempted to extort ₹10,000 from each of them in the name of organising a sandal chadhana (a religious offering ritual) and of using threats and intimidation to coerce them into religious conversion. Asma, a transgender resident of Talapara, explained that her guru bhai (spiritual sibling) lives in Rajkishore Nagar and earns a living by collecting offerings from various parts of the city, as per the traditional divisions of area among the community. The community had assigned Raja Kinnar the Pendra-Gaurela region to work in, but instead of staying within her area, she remained in the city and picked quarrels with other kinnars. Asma further stated, “We are children of Hindustan. We cannot abandon Ram. They are forcing us to convert. She tells us, ‘You are now Muslims, perform sandal chadhana, offer chadar.’ But we worship the Hindu Goddess and God. How can we be Muslims?” The complainants said Raja Kinnar had planned a sandal offering and was calling other transgender persons to demand ₹10,000 each. When anyone objected, she threatened to send goons to attack and break their limbs. Community members stated that this demand for money occurs every year, with a target of ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 being imposed on them. While making offerings as a vow is considered auspicious, they said that setting targets and demanding money through pressure and threats is unacceptable. “We are poor,” they said. “Where are we supposed to find such large amounts? That is why we have come together to file a complaint.” Power struggles within the transgender community in Bilaspur are not new. A few years ago, there had been a major dispute regarding the formation of guru-chela (mentor-disciple) relationships, which had also reached the police. At the time, the police had counselled them to live harmoniously. The transgender individuals said their tradition involves dividing territories for discipleship under guru bhai relationships. However, individuals like Raja Kinnar, they said, use bullying, violence and threats to forcibly make others their disciples. Civil Lines Station House Officer T.I.S.R. Sahu confirmed that one group from the transgender community had submitted a complaint about being threatened for donations and coerced into religious conversion. He stated that an investigation was underway and legal action would follow based on the findings.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker un the primary category of - Predatory Proselytisation. The sub-category selected here is - Harassment, threats, coercion for conversion. Harassment covers a wide range of behaviours of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour that demeans, humiliates, and intimidates a person, including threats and coercion. Harassment and threats, in this case, find their root on discriminatory grounds which has the effect of nullifying a person’s rights or infringing upon his freedom to exercise his right specifically owing to the victim’s religious identity. Verbal and physical threats and psychological or physical harassment are often used against Hindu victims because they choose to practice their professed religion. Religious harassment also includes forced and involuntary conversions by harassment, threats or coercion. Coercion includes intimidatory tactics like force-feeding a Hindu victim beef to convert to another religion, forceful circumcision etc. In several cases documented, non-Hindu perpetrators or those who harbour specific animosity towards Hinduism, harass victims simply based on their religious identity. Such cases often also include harassment to ensure the Hindu victim abandons his/her professed religion and adopts the religion of the perpetrator. Such cases where Hindu victims are harassed to convert to the perpetrator’s religion are rooted in animosity towards the victim’s religious identity and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. This case qualifies as a hate crime because the members of the Hindu transgender (kinnar) community in Chhattisgarh faced systematic pressure to convert to Islam. A Muslim transgender individual demanded ₹10,000 from each of them under the pretext of participating in a religious offering ritual known as sandal chadhana, and used threats of violence to coerce compliance. The victims were told that they had become Muslims and were now required to perform Islamic rituals, such as offering a chadar, even though they continued to worship Hindu deities. The nature of this harassment was clearly religious. The threats extended beyond verbal intimidation, as the complainants were warned that if they resisted, goons would be sent to physically assault them. These actions constitute coercive proselytisation, a grave violation of an individual’s right to freely practise and maintain their religious beliefs. Furthermore, the imposition of monetary targets each year, coupled with psychological and physical intimidation, adds a layer of predatory behaviour to the coercion. Since the motivating factor of the crime was the religious identity of the victims and the intention of disenfranchising them from it, the case has been categorised as a hate crime.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
third
Sources 
