Hindu family brutally attacked on Holi, their house vandalised, after they refused to convert to Christianity
Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India 
14 February, 2026
Case Summary
In the Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh, a Hindu family was assaulted, and their house vandalised, after they refused to convert to Christianity by a Christian pastor named Toman Khande. The incident took place in the Kundara Para, where a Hindu man named Mohitram Khande lived with his family near his relative Toman Khande, who had converted to Christianity about 10–12 years ago. Toman Khande had been repeatedly pressuring Mohitram Khande and his family to convert to Christianity and often threatened them by invoking his links with the police, claiming that no action could be taken against him. Furthermore, a pastor regularly visited his residence on Sundays to conduct religious preaching, during which people in the surrounding area were pressured to adopt Christianity. Tensions between the two families had existed for some time, and earlier complaints regarding threats and assault were also submitted to the police station. The conflict escalated on 15 February 2026, when Toman Khande, accompanied by several associates, arrived at Mohitram Khande’s house and again pressured the family to convert. When the family resisted, the confrontation turned violent, leading to physical assault and stone-pelting on the victim and his family. The victims later reported that a video of the incident existed. The dispute intensified further on the day Holi when the Mohitram's family was again subjected to pressure to convert and was beaten when they refused. During the violence, several individuals entered the victims’ home, assaulted members of the household and vandalised the property. Injury marks were visible on the victim’s back and waist following the attack. Following the assault, women, children and elderly members of the victim’s family approached the office of the Superintendent of Police seeking protection and strict action. Due to fear of further violence, the family stated that they had not returned to their house for nearly twelve days after the incident. However, in response to the complaints, the police claimed that when the victims initially visited the police station, they mentioned a land dispute rather than religious conversion and described the matter as part of a long-standing feud between the two parties. Counter-cases were registered based on complaints from both sides, and the police began an investigation into the matter to determine the facts surrounding the violence and vandalism
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added under the primary category- Predatory Proselytisation. The subcategory selected 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 The second primary category selected here is - Attack not resulting in death. Within it, the sub-category selected here is - Attacked for refusal to convert. When there is pressure, threat or coercion employed upon the Hindu victim to convert to a different religion, in several cases, the victim refuses to succumb to the pressure/threats. Once the victim refuses, the perpetrator proceeds to attack/assault the victim owing to his/her refusal to convert. In such cases, the pressure/threat/intimidation/coercion/violence itself is driven by animosity towards the victim’s Hindu faith. The violence then is another hate crime driven by the victim’s refusal to abandon his professed faith, Hinduism, and convert to the religion of a non-Hindu perpetrator. Since the victim’s faith is at the heart of the pressure to convert and the ensuing violence towards the victim, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. This case has been added to the tracker because a Hindu family was subjected to repeated pressure to abandon their religion and convert to Christianity, followed by violence and intimidation when they refused. The accused, Toman Khande, repeatedly attempted to persuade and pressure his Hindu relatives to adopt the same faith. Pressuring a Hindu individual or family to renounce their religion and accept another faith constitutes a direct attack on their religious identity and dignity. Such actions go beyond personal disagreement or neighbourhood disputes and reflect an attempt to undermine the religious autonomy of the victims by compelling them to discard their Hindu beliefs. It was not a matter of personal choice; it was coercion rooted in hostility towards the victim's Hindu identity. Such an attempt reflects religious animosity because the act was not simply about personal differences but about erasing the victim’s Hindu faith, making it a religiously motivated crime. When the Hindu family resisted these attempts, the situation escalated into physical violence, intimidation and stone pelting. The accused, along with several associates, assaulted members of the victim’s family and vandalised their home. The violence occurred directly as a consequence of the victims' refusal to abandon Hinduism, indicating that the assault functioned as punishment for resisting conversion. It was a deliberate attempt to punish and intimidate the victims for adhering to their religion and not converting. Attacking a Hindu individual just for refusing conversion showcases the intensity with which the accused was willing to go to enforce conversions, making it a religiously motivated offence. In such cases, violence serves a dual purpose: physical subjugation and religious humiliation. The intention was to break the victims down, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, so that they could be converted. This was not random violence; it was systematic, targeted, and rooted in religious animosity. Additionally, the victims were also attacked on the day of Holi. Holi is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in Hinduism, which is traditionally marked by the public exchange of colours, water, and festive interaction among community members. It is a major Hindu festival that symbolises joy, community bonding and the triumph of good over evil, thereby turning what should have been a time of celebration into an episode of fear and violence for the victims. Attacking Hindus immersed in these celebrations desecrated their faith at its heart, transforming a moment of celebration into terror. Such violence during Holi directly insulted the Hindu faith and traditions, confirming the religious nature of the crime. By targeting the victims on Holi for refusing to convert to Christianity, the accused aimed to humiliate and suppress Hindu practices, making this unequivocally a hate crime fuelled by animosity towards Hinduism. Incidents of this nature also have a wider psychological impact on the local Hindu community. When a family is attacked and threatened during a major Hindu festival such as Holi, it creates fear among others who may wish to celebrate their traditions openly. Festivals are meant to strengthen community bonds and reaffirm cultural identity, but violence during such occasions sends a message that openly practising or celebrating Hindu traditions may invite hostility or retaliation. The broader context of conversion-driven pressure also reflects a pattern in which vulnerable individuals or families are repeatedly targeted and subjected to sustained efforts aimed at persuading or compelling them to abandon their existing faith. Taken together, the pressure to convert, violence for refusing to convert, and intimidation of the victims demonstrate a deliberate attempt to coerce the family into abandoning their Hindu faith. Since the violence and harassment occurred in direct response to the victims’ refusal to convert, the incident reflects hostility towards their religious identity. Because the core motivation behind the acts stems from attempts to force religious conversion and punish adherence to Hinduism, this case meets the criteria of a religiously motivated hate crime and thus, has been added to the tracker. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker acknowledges that multiple men participated in the assault on the victims. However, only one individual, Toman Khande, was explicitly identified in the available reports. Therefore, the perpetrator count in this case is recorded as 1. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that none of the media sources covering this case have specified the exact date when the victim's ordeal began. The earliest date mentioned is 15 February 2026, when the accused came to the victim's house and pressured him to convert. Since Hinduphobia Tracker records the incident based on when the victim’s ordeal began and not when it was reported, we have considered the date of the incident as 15 February 2026, though the media reported the incident on 7 March 2026.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
