Azam Zaidi marries Hindu woman by posing as Aman, pressures her to convert, arrested after court order
Bara Banki, Uttar Pradesh, India 
15 September, 2024
Case Summary
In Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh, a case surfaced, where a man deceived a woman by posing as a Hindu and later pressured her to convert to Islam. Mohammad Azam Zaidi, married the woman in 2016, pretending to be Aman. The victim discovered his real identity only after reaching her in-laws' home. When she opposed the fraud, she faced physical and mental abuse. The situation worsened after the birth of their daughter in 2017. Zaidi began pressuring the woman to convert to Islam, despite her strong opposition. She was continuously harassed, both physically and emotionally. The victim eventually approached the court, seeking justice for the deception and abuse she had endured. The court, led by Chief Judicial Magistrate Sudha Singh, took serious note of her complaint and directed the police to take action. A case was registered against Zaidi under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 498A (cruelty to wife), 323 (causing hurt), 504 (insult), 506 (threat), and 376 (rape). Additionally, charges were filed under the Muslim Women’s Marriage Rights Protection Act and Uttar Pradesh's Unlawful Religious Conversion Act. Acting promptly, the police arrested Mohammad Azam Zaidi within 24 hours. The victim had also reported that Zaidi had beaten her multiple times.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under the prime category- Hate crimes against women in relationships and sexual crimes. Under this, three sub-categories have been selected. The first is- Man pretends to be Hindu- When a non-Hindu man pretends to be a Hindu to deceive a Hindu woman into a relationship, the act is seen as triggered by malafide intentions. In some cases, the woman eventually accepts the man’s original religious identity and converts after the man’s identity is revealed. These cases could be argued as cases of religious brainwashing and a result of the pressure a woman feels after getting into a relationship with a man. The woman, it can be argued, also changed her religious identity because of the stigma she believes she might face if she chooses to walk out of a deceptive relationship. However, for the purpose of documenting hate crimes, the cases in this subcategory are limited to those where there is explicit violence aimed at religious conversion against the wishes of the victim (force-feeding beef, blackmailing with intimate videos, rape on refusal to convert, etc), or if the woman herself complains of the man’s religious deception. In such cases, it is established that the deception of the non-Hindu man had a specific aim of religious conversion or targeting of the victim due to her Hindu religious identity, therefore, making it a religiously motivated hate crime. The second sub-category under which this case has been placed is- Forced conversion after marriage- In such cases, a non-Hindu man marries a Hindu woman and the force/pressure to convert to Islam begins after marriage. In such cases, the marriage is consensual in most cases and often, there is no element of the man hiding his religious identity. The marriage could be under the Special Marriages Act where neither parties are required to convert their religion for the marriage to be considered legitimate. While the victim in such cases enters matrimony assuming that religious identity is not a barrier, the non-Hindu man starts to pressure the woman to convert to Islam after marriage. In such cases, there is application of force by the perpetrator, including, denial of the woman’s religious rights. Some of the means by which the woman is forced/pressured to convert include force-feeding beef, forced to read the Kalma, forced to wear a hijab, forced for Halala, etc. There are several instances where after marriage, the woman voluntarily converts to Islam. Such cases are often argued to be a result of religious brainwashing, however, for the purpose of documenting religiously motivated hate crimes, in the absence of the victim complaining of forced conversion, such cases do not form a part of the database. The third sub-category relevant here is- Assualt or threat upon refusal to convert- When Hindu women are in a relationship with non-Hindu men, there are cases where the woman faces threats or assault after she refuses to convert and change her religious identity owing to pressure/force by the non-Hindu man. Such relationships may be consensual with the religious identity of the non-Hindu man known to the victim. Somewhere along the relationship, the non-Hindu man starts pressurizing the Hindu woman to convert to Islam and upon her refusal, assaults or threatens the victim. Such cases are driven by specific religious motivations and against the religious identity of the victim and are therefore qualified as hate crimes. Cases where the Hindu woman converts to Islam and does not file a complaint about the force or threat, are not considered a part of the hate tracker, even though, it may be argued that the woman was brainwashed or threatened to convert to Islam. In this instance, the Muslim perpetrator concealed his religious identity to deceive and trap the Hindu woman, demonstrating clear bias and malicious intent toward her religion. This act of deception severely compromises the woman’s ability to make informed decisions regarding her relationship and religious choices. Furthermore, once his true identity was revealed, his attempt to pressure her into converting to Islam constituted a direct assault on her religious freedom. Such coercion infringes upon her right to practice her faith and maintain her religious identity. Forced conversion, whether through threats, manipulation, or emotional pressure, is a grave violation of religious rights and can be viewed as an effort to erase her cultural and religious identity. The deception of making a Hindu woman believe he shared her faith, only to demand later she abandon her religion, indicates a deep-seated contempt for her religious beliefs. This behaviour exemplifies an attempt to subjugate her faith, reinforcing notions of religious superiority and intolerance. The intent to change her religious identity through deceit and pressure underscores the underlying hatred and bigotry towards the victim's faith, and this is why this case has been included in the tracker.
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 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
