Hindu transgender forcibly converted to Islam by Muslim transgender in Prayagraj; Muslim cleric involved, victim assaulted and made to consume objectionable substances
Prayagraj (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh, India 
19 June, 2022
Case Summary
In Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, a Hindu transgender named Pankaj was forcibly converted to Islam by Muslim transgender individuals. The victim was also subjected to physical assault and mental torture. A Muslim cleric was also involved in this crime, and he performed the conversion. The victim was made to consume objectionable substances The accused is identified as a Muslim transgender woman named Babli. In the Indian transgender community, particularly among hijras, the guru-disciple (guru-chela) relationship is foundational. The guru serves as a mentor, guide, and protector, offering support, shelter, and a sense of family to the disciples. This system sustains the transgender community's traditions, identity, and mutual care across generations. According to media reports, Pankaj was a disciple of Babli. Babli, along with one of her Muslim disciples, forcibly converted Pankaj to Islam. The forced conversion was conducted by an Islamic cleric from Pathar Gali at the behest of other Muslim transgender individuals. Along with the forced conversion, the Hindu victim was made to consume objectionable substances and suffered both physical and mental harassment. After the conversion, when Pankaj wished to return home, the Muslim perpetrators filed a false case against her, accusing her of theft. They also physically assaulted her. Following this, the victim’s mother approached the police for help and appealed for justice. The Kinnar Kalyan Board, a transgender welfare board, also intervened in this case, stating that a complaint had been lodged as the matter was serious. Vaishnavi Nand Giri of the board said, "We demand that strict action be taken against whoever is accused. Forcibly converting anyone is wrong. There is a demand from the government and administration that action should be taken in the matter."
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Predatory Proselytisation. Within this, 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. This incident is a clear example of a hate crime against Hindus, rooted in religious animosity. The chain of events began when the Muslim transgender, along with her disciple and an Islamic cleric, forcibly converted Pankaj, a Hindu transgender, to Islam. The act of compelling Pankaj to abandon her religion was not only an attack on her individual autonomy but also a direct assault on her Hindu identity and beliefs. Such forced conversions are inherently anti-Hindu in nature as they target and erase the religious identity of the Hindu victim with the intent to undermine and humiliate the victim on the basis of faith. This deliberate targeting and forced conversion based on religious identity demonstrates the religious animosity behind the crime at play. Such acts are clear examples of a religiously motivated hate crime. Following the conversion, Pankaj was assaulted both physically and mentally, further highlighting the hostility and aggression directed towards her because of her religious identity. Such mistreatment and violence reinforced a sense of othering and intimidation, designed to suppress and erase her Hindu identity. Additionally, she was force-fed objectionable substances, showcasing a deep level of religious disdain and an intent to violate her bodily autonomy and religious convictions. This act was not only exploitative but was also meant to degrade her Hindu beliefs and practices, making it a religiously motivated hate crime. Moreover, when Pankaj attempted to return to her home, she was harassed through the filing of false police cases, including fabricated accusations of theft. This deliberate legal harassment adds another layer of systematic abuse designed to prevent her from seeking justice and to intimidate her further. Each of these acts, forced religious conversion, physical and mental assault, religiously motivated humiliation, and false legal persecution, collectively constitutes a hate crime. The motive was clearly grounded in religious animosity and a desire to inflict harm upon a Hindu individual, solely because of her religious identity. Since this case meets the parameters of a religiously motivated crime, it is being added to the hate crime database. Disclaimer: Media reports do not specify the total number of perpetrators. They mention only the Muslim transgender, her Muslim disciple, and the Islamic cleric. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we are using a conservative count of three perpetrators. Disclaimer: Media reports do not mention the exact date when the victim’s ordeal began. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we are using the earliest date on which it was reported—20th June 2022—as the date of the incident.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 0
- Third Gender 1
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 1
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
