Minor Hindu girl lured into conversion by Muslim doctor under the guise of medical treatment
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India 
2 April, 2025
Case Summary
In Tilwara, Jabalpur, the police arrested a homeopathic doctor, Khalid Khan, on 3rd April on charges of predatory proselytisation. His clinic was located in Kresher Lane. The arrest followed an investigation into allegations that he had attempted to convert a minor Hindu girl under the guise of medical treatment. According to police reports, in August 2024, the minor visited Khalid’s clinic for treatment. During the consultation, Khalid obtained her mobile number and later maintained contact with her through phone conversations. Over time, he tried to persuade her to change her religion. The girl's family eventually became aware of these interactions and noticed a shift in her religious beliefs. They observed that she had begun to distance herself from traditional Hindu practices and was observing Roza. Concerned about the situation, the family attempted to reason with her, but their efforts proved unsuccessful. Eventually, they lodged a police complaint, detailing their concerns about the influence Khalid had exerted on their daughter. Following the complaint, the police took action and arrested the doctor.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the primary category- Predatory Proselytisation. The first sub-category selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination, and within this, two tertiary categories selected 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. The second sub-category selected under Predatory Proselytisation is- Conversion/ attempts to convert by inducement. Predatory Proselytisation is not just limited to threat, harassment, force and violence, but it also has contours of stealth. In several cases, the Hindu victim is exploited to convert, with non-Hindus taking advantage of their poverty. In such cases, the Hindu victim who is suffering financially is offered monetary benefits, including lucrative offers for jobs, health treatment, education, etc, to induce the victim into changing his/her religion. In such cases, the religious identity of the victim and the aim to disenfranchise him from his faith form the heart of the crime. Also, taking advantage of and exploiting an individual’s economic vulnerabilities is widely acknowledged as exploitation, forms of which are often penalised by law. Such cases therefore are considered religiously motivated hate crimes since the victim’s religious identity forms the very heart of the crime itself. This case qualifies as a hate crime under the category of Predatory Proselytisation due to the deliberate and systematic efforts to manipulate a minor into abandoning her religious beliefs. The perpetrator, exploiting his position as a doctor, engaged in a calculated effort to erode the victim’s faith and gradually instil allegiance to a contrasting religion. The doctor at first used the tactics of allurement to gain her trust. He drew the victim close to him under the guise of medical treatment. He then gradually started brainwashing her to abandon her faith and adopt Islam. The victim's family observed a shift in her practices and beliefs, like she distanced herself from traditional Hindu practices and was observing Roza. This reinforces the subtle yet persistent pressure exerted on the minor Hindu victim. The gradual estrangement from her faith, along with the secretive nature of the interactions, aligns with the patterns observed in predatory proselytisation. Given that the underlying motivation stems from religious animosity towards the victim’s faith, this case is categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime. Here, another concerning aspect is that the victim was a minor. 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, especially when employed by trusted authority figures in positions of influence. 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 religiously 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
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
