Minor Hindu girl subjected to prolonged sexual exploitation and blackmail by group of Muslim men in Kheda, Gujarat
Kheda, Gujarat, India 
17 April, 2023
Case Summary
In Kheda district, Gujarat, a minor Hindu girl was subjected to prolonged sexual exploitation and blackmail by a group of Muslim men over a period of nearly three years. According to the police investigation, the victim, who was a minor at the time the abuse began, was lured into a romantic relationship by the main accused, identified as a Muslim man named Parvez Pathan. After gaining her trust, he engaged in sexual relations with her and recorded obscene photos and videos. These explicit materials were then used to blackmail and threaten the victim. The accused warned her that the photos and videos would be circulated publicly and on social media if she resisted his demands or informed anyone about the abuse. Over a period spanning from around Ramadan 2023 until Ramadan 2025, the victim was repeatedly sexually exploited by Parvez Pathan and several other Muslim men connected to him. The accused called the victim to different locations where she was subjected to repeated sexual assault and intimidation. The victim, who was 17 years old when the matter came to light, had endured the abuse for nearly three years under continuous threats and coercion. Following the complaint lodged by the victim’s family, Kheda Town Police registered an FIR under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to rape, gang rape, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy, along with provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The victim underwent a medical examination, and the police began collecting technical and forensic evidence to strengthen the case. The police investigation revealed that nine Muslim men were involved in the crime. Eight accused were arrested, while one remained absconding at the time of reporting. The arrested accused were identified as Parvez Pathan, Mahir Khan Pathan, Faizan Khan Pathan, Taufiq Khan Pathan, Ayan Khan Pathan, Moin Khan Pathan, Marukh Khan Pathan and Salman Khan Pathan, while Sahil Pathan was absconding.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In this case, a minor Hindu girl was lured, blackmailed, and subjected to prolonged sexual exploitation by a group of Muslim men. This could potentially be a crime motivated by religious profiling, as it has been observed that in many cases, Muslim perpetrators target Hindu minor girls due to inherent animosity towards Hindus and minors being more vulnerable. Hindu girls are very vulnerable to crimes like rape and sexual assault at the hands of Muslim men. Since the accused lured the minor victim and sexually exploited her over a prolonged period, it indicates that he was aware of the victim’s religious identity, which raises the possibility of religious profiling. However, it is also possible that the crime was one of opportunity, where the minor Hindu girl was simply accessible to the Muslim perpetrator. Meanwhile, it could also be argued that for a Muslim man, a Muslim girl would likely be more accessible than a Hindu girl. The fact that the perpetrator specifically targeted a Hindu girl could suggest religious bias. Moreover, the victim was a minor at the time of the incident, thus making any supposed "consent" given for a relationship from her side is legally invalid under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. POCSO is a strict liability law, meaning the accused's intention or the minor's willingness is not taken into account when determining culpability. The underlying reason is that children are not considered mentally or emotionally developed enough to make mature decisions about relationships, which makes them highly vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation. Nevertheless, the case details provide no clear indication of religious motivations. Furthermore, neither the victim nor her parents made any statements suggesting a religious motive behind the crime. For this reason, the case has been added to the 'Undecided' database. If further information emerges that points towards a religious motivation behind this crime, it would then be reclassified and included in the hate crime database Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that none of the media sources covering this case has specified the exact date when the victim's ordeal began, though it is mentioned that her exploitation began in 2023. Thus, to document this case, we have used an indicative date, 18 April 2023, as a placeholder to represent the beginning of her suffering. While media coverage of the incident emerged on 18 April 2026, the Hinduphobia Tracker records the incident based on when the victim’s ordeal began, not when it was reported.
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
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
