Adopt Islam, leave your wife and marry someone else: Maulvi robs a Hindu couple in Ghaziabad and tries to convert in the name of ‘exorcism’
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 
18 September, 2024
Case Summary
A case of conspiracy to convert under the guise of exorcism came to light from the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh. A Hindu woman filed a complaint against a Maulvi for instigating her ailing husband not only to convert to Islam but also to a second marriage. Shreesh, an engineering consultant, was under significant stress due to his wife’s ongoing kidney treatment. Seeking relief, he consulted the Maulvi, who claimed his wife could be cured through spiritual means. Over the course of 4-5 months, Abdul Rehman extorted around Rs 7 lakh from Shreesh for supposed spiritual treatments. The Maulvi convinced Shreesh to sell his car and other assets to fund these treatments and later pressured him to sell his house. Meanwhile, Rehman began urging Shreesh to convert to Islam, falsely claiming it would resolve his problems. He also accused Shreesh’s wife of being unfaithful and encouraged him to leave his family for a second marriage. Suspicious of her husband’s behaviour, Shreesh’s wife began monitoring him and obtained an audio recording of Maulvi's manipulation. Enraged by the Maulvi’s deceit, she lodged a police complaint, accusing him of financial fraud and coercion. On 19th September 2024, the police registered the case and arrested Abdul Rehman.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added under the prime category- Predatory Proselytisation, of the tracker. Under this, the sub-category selected here 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 exemplifies predatory proselytization, where conversion attempts were orchestrated by offering inducement in the guise of a cure. Abdul Rehman, the Maulvi, exploited Shreesh’s emotional and financial vulnerability by promising that spiritual healing—along with conversion to Islam—would alleviate the health issues plaguing Shreesh’s wife. By claiming that a shift in faith would bring relief from their struggles, Rehman wielded his position as a supposed spiritual guide to manipulate Shreesh into significant financial sacrifices, persuading him to sell his car, other assets, and eventually pressuring him to sell his house. By capitalizing on Shreesh’s faith in spiritual intervention for his family’s well-being, the Maulvi pursued conversion through deceit, isolating Shreesh from his relationships and his own beliefs. This calculated targeting reflects a clear case of religiously motivated predatory proselytization, where conversion was sought not through genuine faith, but through psychological manipulation and inducement of a cure.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- 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 
