Minor Hindu girl kidnapped twice by Muslim man, family fears forced marriage and conversion
Lakhimpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
28 December, 2024
Case Summary
A 14-year-old Hindu girl was kidnapped in the Kheri district on December 29, 2024, and her mother stated that she may be forcibly converted and married. According to the girl’s mother, Suman Devi, she and her daughter were being taken for labour work by a contractor named Salim. On the way, a Muslim man, Raja, lured Kajal away. Suman Devi immediately reported the matter to Mahewangaj Police Outpost and the police station. The police initially detained Muslim Raja and Salim, but later, a local leader, Naseem, intervened and got them released. Soon after, Kajal went missing again, and her whereabouts remained unknown. Suman Devi stated that Muslim Raja intended to convert and forcibly marry her daughter. She stated that influential people were protecting the accused, which stalled any action from the authorities. Desperate for help, she submitted multiple applications to the Superintendent of Police and the District Magistrate of Kheri, urging them to intervene. The Hinduphobia Tracker team possesses the FIR filed by the police in the case.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category- predatory proselytisation. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. Further, the two relevant tertiary categories selectred are- Family claims grooming and Conversion of minor. Religious brainwashing essentially means the often subtle and forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up their religious beliefs to accept contrasting regimented ideas. Religious grooming or brainwashing also involves propaganda and manipulation. It involves the systematic effort, driven by religious malice and indoctrination, to persuade “non-believers’ to accept allegiance, command, or doctrine to and of a contrasting faith. Cases of such grooming or brainwashing are far more nuanced than direct threats, coercion, inducement and violence. In such cases, it is often seen that there is repeated, subtle and continual manipulation of the victim to induce disaffection towards their own faith and acceptance of the contrasting faith of the perpetrator. While subtle indoctrination is widely acknowledged as predatory, an element which is often understated in such conversions or the attempts of such conversion is the role of loyalty and trust which might develop between the perpetrator and the victim. Fiduciary relationships are often abused to affect such religious conversion. For example, an educator transmitting religious doctrine of a competing faith to a Hindu student. The Hindu student is likely to accept what the teacher is transmitting owing to existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinate victims would also be included in this category. Since the underlying animosity towards the victim’s faith forms the basis of predatory proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. This case rightly falls under predatory proselytisation, as the abduction of the 14-year-old Hindu girl was not just about kidnapping but about religiously motivated coercion. The accused lured her away with manipulation, showing a deliberate pattern of grooming and brainwashing. The mother's testimony that the accused intended to forcibly convert and marry her daughter highlights the religious targeting behind the crime. The fact that the victim was a minor indicates a lack of consent and genuine change of conscience. It is a well-established fact that children are more susceptible to manipulation since they are still developing emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Their brains are not fully mature, making them more vulnerable to influence and less capable of critically evaluating information. Moreover, subtle manipulation tactics can be difficult to detect. This makes it challenging for parents to identify and address instances of religious manipulation. Consequently, cases involving religious manipulation of minors not only represent an infringement on an individual's religious freedom but also demonstrate a calculated strategy of targeting those who are less able to resist or understand the long-term implications of conversion, making it a significant case of religious-motivated hate crime.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 1
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 1
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
