Hindu woman deceived and trapped in false relationship, raped, abducted, force-fed beef, converted and tortured for years by Muslim perpetrator and his family
Faridabad, Haryana, India 
23 April, 2020
Case Summary
A Hindu woman was deceived, isolated, and subjected to prolonged abuse in Faridabad, Haryana, by a Muslim man named Zulfiqar Ahmed, originally from Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. He lured her into a relationship by pretending to be Hindu and later forced her into marriage and religious conversion. Over several years, she was subjected to repeated violence, coercion, and control. What began as online contact escalated into sustained physical and psychological harm. According to the victim, her ordeal began in 2020, when she met the accused through a Muslim woman who worked in the same factory as the victim. The victim was working in a factory in Faridabad, earning a modest income and barely making ends meet. During this time, a Muslim woman named Shabnam, who worked at the same place, formed a connection with her. Shabnam later introduced her to the Muslim man by sharing his fake Instagram account. Zulfiqar had concealed his Muslim identity and introduced himself as “Krishna” and an Indian Army soldier. This marked the beginning of Zulfiqar’s approach. Using a fake Instagram profile, he began messaging the victim. Initially, she ignored him, but eventually responded after repeated messages. He then gradually drew her into his trap. Over time, he developed a relationship with the Hindu woman under this false identity. After several weeks of communication, he arranged to meet her in Faridabad. During this meeting, he entered her residence under the pretext of being unable to find accommodation. He then administered a sedative to her through a drink, rendering her unconscious. During this period, he sexually assaulted her and recorded explicit photos and videos. Following this, he used the recorded material to threaten her. He remained at her residence for approximately twenty days, during which he repeatedly raped her and maintained control over her movements. He warned her that any resistance would result in the release of the recorded material and threats to her life. He then began pressuring her to accompany him to Jammu and Kashmir. When she refused, he escalated threats and involved his relatives. Zulfiqar’s uncle and his uncle’s son joined him in coercing the Hindu woman. She was forced into a vehicle and taken towards Jammu and Kashmir. During the journey, at security checkpoints, he instructed her to identify herself with a Muslim name. It was during this journey that the Hindu woman discovered his real identity as a Muslim man. When she questioned him, he threatened to kill her and release her private videos, silencing her resistance. She was taken to Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir, where she was kept at his uncle’s house for approximately fifteen days. During this period, she was compelled and was made to adopt a Muslim name. She was forced into a religious ceremony in a mosque, where Zulfiqar compelled her into marriage. He also obtained her signatures on documents and completed formalities to present the marriage as valid. The Hindu woman was not given a choice in these actions and remained under threat throughout. After this, he took her to his family home. There, his father Abdul Ghaffar, his mother Saira Begum, and his siblings subjected the Hindu woman to continuous control and abuse. She was confined for approximately three months. During this time, she was forced to offer namaz multiple times a day, attend religious practices, and wear a burqa at all times. If she resisted, she was beaten and abused. The Hindu woman was also forced to consume beef against her will. Zulfiqar told her that she would have to become Muslim and claimed that many girls like her had earlier been Hindu but had now converted. The victim stated that a buffalo was slaughtered in front of her and she was forced to eat its meat. When she refused, he abused her, raped her, and physically assaulted her. This pattern of coercion, including forceful feeding of beef, violence, and forced compliance, continued throughout her time there, reinforcing control over her actions and identity. After approximately three more months, she managed to escape and returned to Faridabad. However, Zulfiqar followed her there. With Shabnam's assistance, he arranged accommodation near Takiya Wali Masjid in Faridabad. From 2021 to 2025, he continued to live with her and subjected her to ongoing sexual violence, threats, and control. He did not maintain regular employment but handled large sums of money, transferring them through her accounts. During this period, he continued to pressure her to fully abandon her Hindu identity. He restricted her movements, interfered with her personal life, and prevented her from practising her religion. The Hindu woman stated that she was unable to celebrate Hindu festivals or live freely during this period. He continued to threaten her using the previously recorded material and repeated warnings of violence. During this time, the Hindu woman also gave birth to a child. Zulfiqar expressed hostility towards her child and forced her to undergo two abortions. These actions were carried out under pressure and control, further restricting her autonomy and well-being. In September 2025, Zulfiqar left the Hindu woman and entered into another marriage with the daughter of Shabnam. He had maintained contact with this individual while living with the Hindu woman. After leaving, he continued to threaten the Hindu woman. When she objected to his actions, he told her that he could maintain multiple marriages and that she could continue to live under his terms. The victim gave birth to a daughter, whom Zulfiqar did not accept. After the birth, he forced her to undergo abortion twice. In September 2025, he suddenly abandoned her and fled. The victim also stated that Zulfiqar has now performed a second nikah with Shabnam’s daughter, Sama, and is living with her. Despite being in a relationship with the victim, he had ongoing relations with Sama and married her with his family’s consent. When the victim objected, he told her that multiple marriages are allowed in Islam and that she could continue living with him if she wished. This time, however, the victim refused. She went to the Dabua police station and filed a complaint, but the police refused to register it. She then approached the court and wrote to the Chief Minister of Haryana and other authorities seeking justice. The victim has also stated that Zulfiqar has links with Pakistan and has travelled there multiple times. She stated that even when he took her to Jammu and Kashmir, he went to Pakistan for a few days, claiming he had close contacts there. After his second marriage, he continued threatening her, saying that Muslims in India would side with Pakistan in case of war and that he himself would soon obtain Pakistani citizenship and settle there. Bajrang Dal leader Punit Vashisht, who helped the victim seek justice, stated that despite the victim approaching the police, no action was taken. He described the matter as one of national security, citing the accused’s pro-Pakistan statements and connections, and demanded that he be booked under stringent laws such as UAPA or NSA.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category - Crimes against women in relationships and other sexual crimes. Within this, the subcategory selected is - Man pretends to be Hindu. Under this, the tertiary categories selected are - Name changed, and Raped and/or murdered after Hindu woman finds out real identity. 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 other sub-category selected for this case is - Brainwashed and/or groomed. Under this, the tertiary categories selected are - Rape and sexual assault/harassment, and Victim says she was brainwashed/groomed. In our database, we have not added incidents where women have converted to another religion of their free will and no allegations of forced/involuntary conversion have been made. However, there are certain cases of conversion where the consent itself is a result of the brainwashing or grooming of a minor by the non-Hindu perpetrator trying to victimise a woman for her Hindu religious identity. The phenomenon of grooming points to non-Hindu perpetrators identifying their Hindu victims’ vulnerabilities and exploiting them over months and sometimes years, to extract the supposed ‘consent’ in order to convert their religion. In most cases of grooming, the victims are minors or the grooming started when the victim was a minor. In other cases of grooming, the non-Hindu perpetrator brainwashes and grooms a minor victim to extract their trust and then proceeds to rape them repeatedly with the intent of converting them to their faith. It is pertinent to understand here that when the victim is a minor, the ‘consent’ to convert or enter into a romantic relationship with an adult itself is redundant – addressed by POCSO. While every case of conversion of a minor and incidents of establishing a physical relationship with a minor by an adult is a crime, for the purpose of this database, a case would be considered a hate crime only if there is a distinct religious angle to the grooming. For example, in the UK, if a Hindu minor is targeted by Pakistani grooming gangs, it would be considered a hate crime because the victims are specifically targeted owing to their non-Muslim religious identity with the perpetrators being Muslim. In other cases, if a Hindu minor is brainwashed into entering a physical relationship with the non-Hindu adult perpetrator and the family alleges grooming/brainwashing of the minor to convert her religion, it would form a part of this database. If the victim is a Hindu adult, the case would form a part of this database only if the victim herself says that she was brainwashed/groomed to convert her religion. However, if the victim is deceased (murdered or otherwise), the case would form a part of this database if her family/friends provided testimony that the victim was brainwashed/groomed to convert her religion. Since these crimes have a distinct religious angle where the victim is being targeted owing to her Hindu religious identity, these cases are considered a hate crime. Another sub-category selected for this case is - Blackmailed to convert. When Hindu women are in a relationship with non-Hindu men, there are cases where the woman is blackmailed to convert her religion, owing to her religious identity of being a Hindu. Such relationships may be consensual with the religious identity of the non-Hindu man known to the victim, however, there could be cases where the relationship is not consensual and the non-Hindu man starts blackmailing a Hindu woman to convert her religion. In these cases, it is often seen that the Hindu woman is blackmailed with intimate photos and/or videos, threats of harm to her or her family, threats of violence etc. Such cases are driven by specific religious motivations and against the religious identity of the victim and are therefore qualified as hate crimes. Another sub-category selected for this case is - Forced conversion before marriage. Under this, the tertiary category selected is - Forced to follow non-Hindu religious practices and Forced to do Nikah. In such cases, a non-Hindu man is in a relationship with a Hindu woman when the pressure to convert her religion begins to manifest. In such cases, typically, two patterns emerge. First, when the relationship is consensual, and the religious identity of the perpetrator is known to the Hindu woman in the relationship, however, at some point during the relationship, the non-Hindu man starts to force the victim to convert her religion and give up her Hindu religious identity. The second is when the woman gets into a marriage with the man pretending to share her faith. Later, when the truth is revealed, the man starts pressuring the woman to convert her religion and give up her religious identity. In both the situations, the methods used to force the victim to convert her religion often revolve around force-feeding beef, forcing her to wear hijab, forcing her to read the Kalma or even pressurizing the victim to do ‘Nikah’, which is marriage under Islamic law, with a prerequisite being conversion to Islam. Cases where a Hindu woman consensually converts to Islam in a relationship will be left out of the hate crime database, even though it could be argued in several cases that the conversion was a result of religious brainwashing. Another sub-category selected for this case is - Assault 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. This case qualified as a religiously motivated hate crime because a Muslim man deliberately targeted a Hindu woman, concealed his identity, and subjected her to sustained sexual violence, coercion, and forced religious conversion. The sequence of deception, forced marriage, and prolonged abuse demonstrated that the Hindu woman was not only exploited but systematically stripped of her religious identity. The acts were not isolated instances of personal violence but were structured in a way that directly targeted her Hindu identity and imposed another religion upon her through force, threats, and control. This case reflects a clear pattern of targeted coercion, where multiple religious markers combine to establish intent beyond a personal or isolated crime. The sequence of actions, from deception to sustained control, shows a structured progression rather than spontaneous behaviour. The first and most significant marker is identity concealment for targeted access. The accused deliberately hid his Muslim identity and assumed a Hindu name, “Krishna,” to gain the trust of a Hindu woman. This was not incidental misrepresentation but a calculated step to bypass religious boundaries that would otherwise prevent such access. The use of a Hindu identity indicates prior awareness that the victim’s religious background was central to the deception, making her identity the basis of selection rather than coincidence. The second marker lies in targeted victim selection and grooming through a network. The introduction through a Muslim acquaintance, followed by persistent online engagement, reflects a coordinated approach rather than a chance interaction. The victim was identified as a Hindu woman living independently and economically vulnerable, making her an easier target for manipulation and isolation. This layered approach of trust-building, introduction, and gradual engagement shows planning and intent tied to identity. The third marker is coercion through sexual violence and blackmail as a tool of control. The administration of intoxicants, recording of explicit material, and subsequent threats were not isolated acts of abuse but mechanisms to establish long-term dominance. The blackmail ensured silence and compliance, allowing the accused to impose further demands, including relocation and religious conversion. This demonstrates how violence was used instrumentally to break resistance and enforce submission. The fourth and most explicit marker is forced religious conversion and imposition of Islamic practices. The victim was compelled to adopt a Muslim name, undergo nikah, and participate in religious rituals under threat. She was forced to wear a burqa, offer namaz, and abandon her previous identity. These actions go beyond personal control and directly target the victim’s religious identity, replacing it with another through coercion. The forced consumption of beef, particularly for a Hindu woman for whom the cow holds deep religious significance, further reflects an attempt to sever her connection with her faith and impose cultural and religious compliance. The fifth marker is institutionalisation of coercion through family involvement. The participation of the accused’s family in enforcing religious practices, physical confinement, and abuse indicates that the acts were not isolated to an individual but reinforced within a broader social environment. The victim was held, controlled, and subjected to violence collectively, strengthening the coercive framework and eliminating avenues of escape. The sixth marker is sustained suppression of religious freedom and identity erasure. Even after returning to Faridabad, the victim was prevented from practising her religion, celebrating festivals, or living independently. The continued threats, surveillance, and control ensured that her Hindu identity remained suppressed over a prolonged period. This long-term restriction shows that the objective was not temporary dominance but a complete transformation and control of identity. The seventh marker is use of ideological justification and normalisation. Statements made by the accused, including references to multiple marriages and assertions about religious identity and allegiance, reflect an attempt to legitimise his actions within a broader belief system. This normalisation reinforces the coercive acts and presents them as acceptable within his framework, further strengthening the pattern of targeted behaviour. Finally, the continuity and escalation of abuse over several years establishes that this was not a one-time offence but a sustained campaign of control, coercion, and identity-based targeting. The progression from deception to violence, forced conversion, confinement, and continued intimidation demonstrates a consistent pattern where the victim’s religious identity remained central at every stage. Taken together, these elements establish that the incident was not merely a case of personal exploitation or abuse. The deliberate targeting of a Hindu woman, the structured use of deception and coercion, the forced imposition of another religious identity, and the sustained suppression of her faith clearly indicate a religiously motivated pattern. This incident is not an isolated act of personal wrongdoing but part of a discernible pattern where Hindu women are selectively targeted through deception, coercion, and sustained control. The sequence of concealment of identity, calculated grooming, use of sexual violence and blackmail, and eventual pressure to abandon one’s faith and adopt another points to a clear, structured intent rather than coincidence. Such actions reflect a deeper hostility towards the victim’s religious identity, where control over the individual extends to erasure and replacement of that identity. When these elements consistently appear together, they indicate that the objective goes beyond exploitation and enters the realm of identity-based targeting, making the act inherently rooted in religious animosity and coercion. Disclaimer: The exact date of when the Hindu woman and the Muslim perpetrator first came into contact was not specified in the available sources. However, the year of initial contact was estimated to be around 2020. The tracker records incident dates based on when the crime occurred rather than when it was reported or published. In this case, 24th April 2020 has been used as the indicative incident date, derived by aligning the known year with the article publication date of 24th April 2026. This date has been recorded for documentation purposes only.
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
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
