Hindu man pressured and assaulted for conversion to Islam by Muslim wife and family; Hindu deities denigrated, minor son forcibly circumcised
Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India 
13 April, 2026
Case Summary
In the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, a Hindu man was subjected to sustained pressure for religious conversion to Islam by his Muslim wife and her family following an interfaith marriage that was initially presented to him as free from any religious conditions. According to reports, the victim, Vivek Singh, a resident of Bokta village in the Gangolihat area, stated that he had met a Muslim woman named Yasmin several years earlier. During their relationship, Yasmin represented herself as a follower of Sanatan Dharma, participated in Hindu religious practices, and visited temples with him, leading him to believe that there would be no religious conflict between them. After he discovered that she belonged to the Muslim community and expressed reluctance to proceed with the marriage, Yasmin's parents and relatives assured him that the marriage would be conducted according to Hindu customs and that no pressure regarding religion would be exerted upon him. Based on these assurances, the marriage took place in 2020 according to Hindu rituals. According to the complaint filed by Vivek Singh, the situation changed shortly after the marriage. He stated that Yasmin, along with her father Shakir Ali, mother Sajjo Bano, and other relatives, began pressuring him to embrace Islam. He further stated that a Nikahnama was subsequently prepared, and attempts were made to alter his identity through documentation prepared under different names. While residing in Delhi, he was kept away from his family and subjected to mental, social, and economic harassment. The pressure to convert intensified over time, with repeated demands that he abandon his Hindu faith. He stated that his religious beliefs were mocked and that derogatory remarks were made about Hindu deities. He also reported receiving threats that he and his family would face serious consequences if he refused to convert. The victim further stated that after the birth of his son in 2022, his child was circumcised without his knowledge or consent. He also stated that efforts were made to change the child's identity by preparing documents under a different name. In addition to the conversion-related pressure, he recounted incidents of physical assault, including attacks on 14 April 2026 and 5 May 2026. As the harassment and threats escalated, he left Delhi with his four-year-old son and returned to his native village in Pithoragarh on 8 May 2026. However, he stated that the intimidation continued even after his return. According to the complaint, a Muslim man named Firoz later visited his residence and threatened to kill family members and harm the child if he did not accept Islam. Vivek Singh subsequently sought protection for himself, his child, and his family, and requested an investigation into all individuals involved as well as any wider network connected to the conversion-related activities. Following the complaint, Gangolihat Police registered a case against Yasmin, her parents Shakir Ali and Sajjo Bano, and others identified as Parvez and Firoz. The FIR included provisions relating to assault, abuse, forgery, criminal intimidation, and religious conversion. Police initiated an investigation into the matter and stated that further action would be taken based on the findings of the inquiry.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of - Men attacked for being associated with non-Hindu women. Within it, the sub-category selected is - Brainwashed and/or groomed. In our database, we have not added incidents where men 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 man for his 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 incident 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 himself says that he was brainwashed/groomed to convert his religion. However, if the victim is deceased (murdered or otherwise), the case would form a part of this database if his family/friends provided testimony that the victim was brainwashed/groomed to convert his religion. Since these crimes have a distinct religious angle where the victim is being targeted owing to his Hindu religious identity, these cases are considered hate crimes. The sub-category selected here is - Forced conversion after marriage. In such cases, a non-Hindu woman marries a Hindu man and the force/pressure against the Hindu man 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 non-Hindu woman hiding her 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 woman starts to pressure the Hindu man to convert to Islam after marriage. In such cases, there is application of force/pressure by the perpetrator, including, denial of the man’s religious rights. Some of the means by which the man is forced/pressured to convert include forcing/pressurizing the man to involuntarily consume beef, pressurizing/forcing to read the Kalma, forced circumcision, forced to go to the mosque, etc. There are several instances where after marriage, the man 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 other sub-category selected is - Threatened to convert by family of partner. When Hindu men are in a relationship with non-Hindu women, there are cases where the man faces threats to convert and change his religious identity by the non-Hindu woman or her family. Such relationships may be consensual with the religious identity of the non-Hindu woman known to the victim. Somewhere along the relationship, the non-Hindu woman or her family starts forcing/pressurizing the Hindu man to convert to Islam and also assaults the victim to force him to convert. 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 man 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 man was brainwashed or threatened to convert to Islam. The other sub-category selected here is - Blackmailed to convert. When Hindu men are in a relationship with non-Hindu women, there are cases where the man is blackmailed to convert his religion. 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 woman starts blackmailing a Hindu man to convert his religion. In these cases, it is often seen that the Hindu man is blackmailed with intimate photos and/or videos, threats of harm to his 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. The other sub-category selected here is - Attacked by non-Hindu partner or/and her family. When Hindu men are in a relationship with non-Hindu women, there are cases where the man is forced to convert his religion and upon his refusal to do so, the partner or/and her family attacks the victim. Such relationships may be consensual with the religious identity of the non-Hindu woman known to the victim. Somewhere along the relationship, the non-Hindu woman or her family starts forcing/pressurizing the Hindu man to convert. In some of these cases, the association could be non-consensual as well or, the religious identity of the non-Hindu woman could be previously unknown to the Hindu victim. In such cases, the Hindu man is first forced/pressurized to change his religion by the non-Hindu woman or her family. The force/pressure could involve threats. The trigger for directing violence against the Hindu man is in these cases his refusal to comply and change his religion under threat and/or force. In other cases that have been documented, it is also seen that the Hindu partner is assaulted by the non-Hindu woman or her family simply for his relationship with the non-Hindu woman and by virtue of him following the Hindu faith and not the religion of the non-Hindu woman. In such cases, the relationship is consensual in most cases and the religion of both partners is known to the other. Often, in such cases, there is no direct force/pressure to convert either, however, the attack is a result of the Hindu man being in a relationship with the non-Hindu partner and not following her religion/following Hinduism specifically. Such cases are driven by specific religious motivations and against the religious identity of the victim and are therefore qualified as hate crimes. The other sub-category selected here is - Assaulted for refusal to convert. When Hindu men are in a relationship with non-Hindu women, there are cases where the Hindu man faces assault after he refuses to convert and change his religious identity owing to pressure/force by the non-Hindu woman or her family. Such relationships may be consensual with the religious identity of the non-Hindu woman known to the victim. Somewhere along the relationship, the non-Hindu woman or her family starts forcing/pressurizing the Hindu man to convert to Islam and upon his refusal, assaults 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 man 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 man was brainwashed or threatened to convert to Islam. The second primary category selected here is - Predatory Proselytisation. Within it, the sub-category selected here is - Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination, with the tertiary category being - Conversion of minor. Religious brainwashing essentially means the often subtle and forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up their religious beliefs to accept contrasting regimented ideas. Religious grooming or brainwashing also involves propaganda and manipulation. It involves the systematic effort, driven by religious malice and indoctrination, to persuade “non-believers’ to accept allegiance, command, or doctrine to and of a contrasting faith. Cases of such grooming or brainwashing are far more nuanced than direct threats, coercion, inducement and violence. In such cases, it is often seen that there is repeated, subtle and continual manipulation of the victim to induce disaffection towards their own faith and acceptance of the contrasting faith of the perpetrator. While subtle indoctrination is widely acknowledged as predatory, an element which is often understated in such conversions or the attempts of such conversion is the role of loyalty and trust which might develop between the perpetrator and the victim. Fiduciary relationships are often abused to affect such religious conversion. For example, an educator transmitting religious doctrine of a competing faith to a Hindu student. The Hindu student is likely to accept what the teacher is transmitting owing to existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinate victims would also be included in this category. Since the underlying animosity towards the victim’s faith forms the basis of predatory proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The other sub-category selected here is - Harassment, threats, coercion for conversion. Harassment covers a wide range of behaviours of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour that demeans, humiliates, and intimidates a person, including threats and coercion. Harassment and threats, in this case, find their root on discriminatory grounds which has the effect of nullifying a person’s rights or infringing upon his freedom to exercise his right specifically owing to the victim’s religious identity. Verbal and physical threats and psychological or physical harassment are often used against Hindu victims because they choose to practice their professed religion. Religious harassment also includes forced and involuntary conversions by harassment, threats or coercion. Coercion includes intimidatory tactics like force-feeding a Hindu victim beef to convert to another religion, forceful circumcision etc. In several cases documented, non-Hindu perpetrators or those who harbour specific animosity towards Hinduism, harass victims simply based on their religious identity. Such cases often also include harassment to ensure the Hindu victim abandons his/her professed religion and adopts the religion of the perpetrator. Such cases where Hindu victims are harassed to convert to the perpetrator’s religion are rooted in animosity towards the victim’s religious identity and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. The other sub-category selected here is - Attempting to convert/converting by denigrating Hinduism. In several cases, Hindus are converted or an attempt is made to convert Hindus by denigrating their faith, Hinduism. In such cases, the Hindus associate with the non-Hindu perpetrators often by choice and then, the attempt to convert them by insulting their faith, showing the faith down etc begins. An example of this would be a non-Hindu gathering where the Hindus are attending the gathering of their own free will. However, once they attend the gathering, there is an explicit attempt to convert them by abusing their faith and hailing the faith of the perpetrator. The denigration of the Hindu faith is often based on misrepresentation of the Hindu faith, its doctrine and scriptures and insult to espoused traditions if not blatant lies about Hindu beliefs and ways. Such conversions or attempts at conversions are driven by animosity towards the Hindu faith and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. This case has been added to the hate crime database because the Hindu victim, Vivek Singh, was subjected to sustained religious coercion, threats, physical violence, ridicule of his faith, and attempts to erase his and his child's Hindu identity by his Muslim wife and her family. The incident was not a routine matrimonial dispute or a disagreement arising from ordinary family tensions. Rather, the acts were directly connected to the victim's religious identity as a Hindu and centred upon efforts to compel him to abandon that identity and accept Islam. Despite this, the victim was that sustained efforts were subsequently made to persuade, pressure, and intimidate him into abandoning Hinduism. Pressuring a Hindu individual to discard his religious faith and embrace another was a direct attack on his religious identity and dignity. It was not a matter of personal choice; it was coercion rooted in hostility towards the victim's Hindu identity. Such an attempt reflects religious animosity because the act was not simply about personal differences but about erasing the victim’s Hindu faith, making it a religiously motivated crime. Another significant feature of the case is the mockery of Hindu beliefs and derogatory comments directed towards Hindu deities. This goes beyond religious debate or proselytisation; it constitutes an act of incitement and insult directed at the core beliefs of the Hindu community. Such remarks are designed to demean and undermine the faith of Hindus and intend to create an inferiority complex in the minds of the victims against their own faith. This fosters an environment of hostility and disrespect towards the Hindu community and Hindu deities. Such behaviour is relevant because it demonstrates that the victim's religion was not merely viewed as different but was treated with contempt and hostility. Insults directed at a person's sacred beliefs, religious symbols, or deities are qualitatively different from ordinary personal disputes because they attack a core aspect of identity. The denigration of Hindu religious beliefs alongside demands for conversion demonstrates that the victim's Hindu identity was regarded as something that needed to be rejected rather than respected. Additionally, this hate crime extended to his young son. The minor child was forcibly circumcised by his mother and in-laws with attempts to rename him, forcibly severing him from his religious and cultural roots. Minors lack the conscience or maturity to make decisions about faith, and in this case, the innocence of the child was brutally exploited. He was denied any choice, stripped of his Hindu identity, and made to carry the body-mark of religious conversion for life. Circumcision, being irreversible, will remain with him forever, an act of permanent mutilation that reflects the fanatical drive of the perpetrators. For them, altering the child’s body was not enough; it was about permanently stamping him with a religious identity against his will. This was not only an abuse of the child’s vulnerability but also an assertion of religious dominance carried out through force and violence. The violence and intimidation employed against the victim further reinforce the religiously motivated nature of the incident. He was physically assaulted on multiple occasions and continued to receive threats for refusing conversion. When threats or physical assault are used as a means of overcoming a person's refusal to abandon his faith, the violence becomes inseparable from the religious objective it seeks to achieve. In such circumstances, violence serves not merely as a tool of intimidation but as a mechanism for compelling religious conformity. This incident also reflects a broader pattern documented in several cases where Hindu individuals in interfaith relationships or marriages face hostility, coercion, or violence because they refuse to abandon their religious identity. In such cases, the Hindu partner's continued adherence to Hinduism becomes the central point of conflict, particularly where demands are made for conversion to Islam. The religious identity of the Hindu individual thereby becomes the basis upon which pressure, intimidation, and punishment are imposed. The targeting of Vivek Singh was therefore inseparable from his Hindu identity and his refusal to abandon that identity. The sustained pressure to convert, the denigration of Hindu beliefs, the circumcision and renaming efforts concerning the child, the threats, and the physical violence collectively demonstrate hostility directed towards the victim on the basis of religion. For these reasons, the case has been included in the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that none of the media sources covering this case have specified the exact date when the victim's ordeal began. The earliest date mentioned is 14 April 2026 when the victim was assaulted. Since Hinduphobia Tracker records the incident based on when the victim’s ordeal began and not when it was reported, we have considered the date of the incident as 14 April 2026, though the media reported the incident on 25 June 2026.
Victim Details
Total Victim
2
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 2
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 2
Age Group
- Minor 1
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
