Hindu woman targeted through false Hindu identity; kalava like thread recovered from accused
Purnia, Bihar, India 
17 September, 2024
Case Summary
In Bihar's Purnia district, a 32-year-old Mohammad Ziarul deceived a Hindu woman by posing as Shankar Yadav. He married the victim, after which the accused tried to strip her of her religious identity by pressuring her to convert to Islam. He also coerced her into following Islamic principles. Upon his arrest, a Kalwa, a Hindu religious thread, was recovered from the accused. Ziarul, already married six times before, met the woman in December 2023 while working as a labourer in her home. Introducing himself as Shankar, he quickly developed a relationship with the woman and married her on 7th February 2024. Initially, Ziarul claimed to be a bachelor, and the couple shared a physical relationship. However, by August, the woman grew suspicious of his behaviour. Ziarul began pressuring her to adopt Islamic practices, such as wearing a burqa, fasting during Ramzaan, and reading namaz. He also began speaking Urdu frequently and abusing her over minor issues. The victim eventually discovered that Ziarul was not only Muslim but had six previous wives, two of whom he had divorced. Upon learning the truth, the woman confronted him, but Ziarul threatened to kill her. The victim’s family soon learned of the situation and, along with Hindu organisations, demanded action. On 18th September 2024, the victim filed a police complaint. The next day, police arrested Ziarul and sent him to jail. A fake Aadhar card in the name of Shankar Yadav and a thread resembling a Hindu Kalava were recovered from him.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker as a religiously motivated hate crime under the prime category- Hate crimes against women in relationships and sexual crimes. Further, there are three sub-categories chosen under the above-mentioned category. The first is- Man pretends to be Hindu, within which two tertiary categories, namely, 'name changed' and 'wears symbols of Hinduism' have been chosen as per case details. 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 chosen here is- Forced conversion after marriage, within which the two tertiary categories chosen are, 'forced to read kalma' and 'forced to wear hijab'. 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. This third sub-category selected here is- assault or threat upon refusing 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. This is a religiously motivated hate crime where deception was used as a key tactic. Mohammad Ziarul deliberately posed as "Shankar Yadav" to lure the Hindu woman into a relationship, concealing his true identity and intentions. Once trust was established, he began coercing her to convert to Islam, pushing her to adopt Islamic practices like wearing a burqa and performing namaz. The calculated use of a false religious identity to deceive and manipulate someone into a relationship is inherently malicious. It undermines the victim's right to make informed decisions about their relationships, especially those that involve significant cultural and religious dimensions. The subsequent coercion to convert to Islam and follow Islamic principles adds another layer of religious hate, as it attempts to strip the victim of her religious freedom and force her into a belief system against her will. This type of exploitation, particularly when it involves coercion, threats, and religious deception, highlights a profound disrespect for the victim's faith and autonomy. It is a deliberate and calculated attempt to exert control over her, using religion as a tool of manipulation and domination. Such actions are rooted in religious intolerance and are clear manifestations of religiously motivated hate. Further, the recovery of a Kalava, a sacred Hindu thread, from the accused's possession goes on to prove that he was exploiting religious symbols and rituals sacred to Hindus. By doing this, the Muslim accused not only betrayed the woman's trust but also showed a profound disrespect for her faith. This case exemplifies a religiously motivated hate crime because it involves the deliberate targeting of an individual’s religious identity, the use of deception to manipulate and control, and the imposition of religious practices through threat and abuse.
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 
