Hindu woman and minor daughter sexually harassed by Muslim man posing as Hindu; victim blackmailed into Nikah, force-fed beef, forced to convert
Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India 
30 July, 2021
Case Summary
In Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, a Hindu woman was deceived, blackmailed, forcibly married, sexually harassed, and forced to convert to Islam and consume cow meat by a Muslim man posing as a Hindu. The accused, identified as Muntaz, presented himself as “Suraj” on Facebook. The victim was blackmailed to force her into Nikah, and subsequently subjected to harassment, sexual abuse, threats, and financial exploitation. The daughter of the victim was also sexually harassed by the accused. According to a Panchjanya news report, the victim was previously married to a man named Ram Kumar and divorced in 2019. Following the divorce, she was living separately. During this period, she met a man on Facebook who maintained a profile under the name “Suraj”. The victim later discovered that the man she knew as Suraj was in fact Muntaz, a Muslim. She stated that after she discovered his real identity, Muntaz blackmailed her using an intimate video of hers that he had secretly recorded. He threatened to make the video public and used it to force her into Nikah in 2021. After the Nikah, Muntaz left for a foreign country. The victim stated that he then sent his brothers and other family members to harass and intimidate her. She stated that she was physically assaulted, threatened, and subjected to pressure to convert to Islam. She was also pressured to consume beef. The victim further stated that she continued to face harassment from the accused’s family while Muntaz remained abroad. The victim also accused Muntaz and his family of financial exploitation. She stated that approximately Rs 7 lakh was taken from her and that her land was also transferred into their name. She stated in a video that her 13-year-old daughter, from her first marriage, was also sexually harassed by the accused and the members of his family. According to the victim, the accused harassed her daughter under the pretext of asking her to give him a massage. Whenever she was away from the house, the accused touched her daughter’s private parts, she said, adding that her minor daughter was also pressurised for Nikah. The victim approached the police and sought registration of an FIR against Muntaz and his family members. She requested that the accused’s passports be seized, stating that they had obtained passports and could leave the country if action was delayed. She also sought immediate legal action over the religious coercion, threats, physical and sexual abuse and harassment meted out to her minor daughter. City Kotwali Station House Officer Manoj Sharma confirmed that the woman’s complaint had been received and stated that the matter was being investigated and that further legal action would follow on the basis of the facts established during the investigation.
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 category selected is - Name changed. 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 malicious 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. Another sub-category 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 to another religion, owing to her religious identity as 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 to another 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. The other subcategory selected in this case is: Forced conversion after marriage. The tertiary categories here are Forced to do Nikah and Forced to eat beef. In such cases, a non-Hindu man marries a Hindu woman, and the force/pressure to convert to any Abrahamic faith, like Islam, begins after marriage. 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. The marriage could be under the Special Marriages Act, where neither party is 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 his religion after marriage. 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 to his religion and give up her religious identity. In both situations, there is the application of force by the perpetrator, including the denial of the woman’s religious rights. Some of the means by which the woman is forced/pressured to convert include force-feeding beef, being forced to read the Kalma, being forced to wear a hijab, being forced to undergo 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. The other selected subcategory is Brainwashed and/or Groomed. The tertiary category under it is: Conversion of Minor. 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’ 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 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 hate crimes. The other primary category selected is Predatory Proselytisation. The subcategory selected under it 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 in discriminatory grounds which have 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 subcategory selected is: Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation, or subtle indoctrination. The tertiary category selected is: Conversion of a 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 the 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 proselytisation, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The case was included in the Hinduphobia Tracker because the victim’s Hindu religious identity was central to the manner in which she was targeted. The accused concealed his Muslim identity behind a Hindu name and persona to gain her trust and subsequently used coercion to undermine her religious autonomy. The conduct therefore went beyond an abusive relationship and involved deliberate interference with the victim’s right to retain her Hindu identity. The concealment of religion was significant because it deprived the woman of an informed choice at the outset of the relationship. Presenting himself as Hindu enabled the accused to cross a religious boundary that the woman was entitled to consider before entering the relationship. The deception was then followed by intimate blackmail and compelled Nikah, which weakened her ability to withdraw before pressure concerning her religion was imposed. The sequence showed that religious deception and coercion operated as connected stages of control. The coercion directly targeted her religious autonomy. Pressure to abandon Hinduism and consume cow meat was not an ordinary marital demand but an attempt to impose another religious identity upon a Hindu woman. In Hinduism, the cow holds a sacred place and is deeply associated with purity, sustenance and ritual life. Its protected status is reflected in Vedic tradition, including the term Aghanya, meaning “not to be killed”. Cow products also hold an important place in Hindu ritual practices. Forcing a Hindu to consume cow meat therefore carried a religious significance far beyond an ordinary act of physical coercion. It violated a deeply held religious boundary and was capable of causing humiliation, distress and a sense of forced separation from her faith. Moreover, the harassment carried out by the accused’s brothers at his direction revealed how he viewed the relationship itself. It indicated that the relationship was not treated as an equal personal bond based on mutual respect, but as a means through which the victim’s Hindu identity could be undermined and subjected to humiliation. The continued involvement of his family after he left the country demonstrated an effort to preserve control over her and reinforce the expectation that her Hindu identity had to be surrendered. Her resistance was met not with acceptance of her religious freedom but with intimidation and suffering, reflecting a conscious disregard for that freedom. Further, the conduct towards the victim’s 13-year-old daughter reinforced the religious nature of the incident. The accused sexually harassed the minor to intimidate the mother and force her into submission. The accused also pressured the girl into nikah, which added a further religious dimension to the abuse. Since the child was a minor, the element of consent and genuine change of conscience was missing ab initio. Minors, due to their young age and lack of maturity, are particularly vulnerable to manipulation and coercion. They may not have the ability to fully understand the implications of converting to another religion, and the Muslim perpetrators purposely targeted and exploited this vulnerability of the victim. The accused’s conduct also revealed a calculated method of progression. The false Hindu identity created access; the intimate material created leverage; and religious pressure was then imposed after the victim’s ability to resist had been weakened. The involvement of relatives ensured that this control continued even in the accused’s absence, while the targeting of the daughter extended the sphere of vulnerability. The sequence demonstrated planning and continuity rather than a spontaneous act arising from a failed relationship. The targeting of the daughter further showed that the conduct extended beyond the immediate relationship and affected another vulnerable Hindu family member. The pressure surrounding her Nikah, combined with the exploitation of her age and trust, demonstrated an effort to exercise influence over the child’s future and identity. This strengthened the impression that the objective was not simply to control one woman but to extend that control within her family. Taken together, these circumstances revealed conscious disregard for Hindu religious identity and freedom. The perpetrator did not merely inflict personal harm; he used religious deception to gain access, coercive leverage to prevent resistance and religiously significant demands to undermine the victim’s existing identity. His conduct therefore reflected hostility towards her ability to remain Hindu and a willingness to use fear, humiliation and dependency to overcome her resistance. Such acts are carried out by Muslim perpetrators due to indoctrination by Islamic theology, which advocates that all non-Muslims (referred to as kafirs) are inferior and subject to subjugation unless they convert to Islam or live under Islamic rule (dhimmitude). These ideas are not mere abstractions; they manifest in actions where non-Muslims, especially Hindus in India, are seen as targets for religious domination, coercion, or humiliation. This theological framework fosters an "us versus them" mindset, in which any assertion of Hindu identity or religious freedom is seen not only as undesirable but as a threat to Islamic supremacy. As a result, perpetrators who are shaped by such teachings feel justified, even morally obligated, to harass, suppress, or violently attack Hindus, particularly when Hindus assert their religious rights or resist conversion. As a result, Muslim perpetrators invoke such doctrines to justify coercive attempts to convert non-Muslims, particularly Hindus, portraying conversion as a means of abandoning Kufr (a state of disbelief in Islam or disbelief in Islam) and attaining salvation. Such acts, therefore, are not isolated but driven by a broader ideological hostility towards Hindus as non-believers and reflect an attempt to impose religious dominance. Since this case was also not a random isolated incident of grooming of a minor but a premeditated attack motivated by bias and hatred against the Hindu community, which is a defining feature of hate crimes, this has been added to the tracker. Disclaimer: Media reported this incident on July 31, 2026. The exact date on which the accused first came into contact with the Hindu victim was not specified in the available sources. However, the report stated that the victim was forced to enter into Nikah in 2021. Since no exact date was mentioned, only the approximate year the victim’s ordeal began could be derived. As the Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when the victim’s ordeal began, an indicative incident date was determined by aligning this timeline with the publication date. Accordingly, 31 July 2021 was selected for documentation purposes.
Victim Details
Total Victim
2
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 2
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 2
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 0
Age Group
- Minor 1
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
