Minor Hindu girl lured and abducted by Muslim man posing as Hindu using 'Om' tattoo and Mahakal bracelet

Case ID : 30a9b6a | Location : Manglaur, Uttarakhand, India | Date of Incident : Mon, 20 July, 2026

Case ID : 30a9b6a

Manglaur, Uttarakhand, India

20 July, 2026

Minor Hindu girl lured and abducted by Muslim man posing as Hindu using 'Om' tattoo and Mahakal bracelet

Crimes against women in relationships and other sexual crimes

Man pretends to be Hindu

Wears symbols of Hinduism

Case Summary

A 14-year-old Hindu girl from an underprivileged community in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, was lured by a Muslim man identified as Salman, who concealed and misrepresented his religious identity by using Hindu religious symbols, including an Om tattoo and a Mahakal bracelet, following which he abducted the minor girl on 21 July 2026. The minor girl was rescued by the police approximately ten days later, on 1 August 2026, and was sent to a civil hospital for medical examination before being placed in a government-run shelter home (Nari Niketan). According to reports, the accused's sister, Rihana, played a role in facilitating the relationship and assisting the accused in abducting the minor Hindu girl. Furthermore, the accused also admitted that his sister had helped him in abducting the girl. It was also revealed that the accused displayed the Om tattoo on his hand and wore a Mahakal bracelet in order to conceal his religious identity and lure the minor Hindu girl. Following the incident, members of Hindu organisations submitted a memorandum to the Superintendent of Police (Rural), demanding strict action against the accused. Police officials confirmed that the minor had been rescued and stated that an investigation into the case was underway.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

The primary category selected in this case is: Crime against women in relationships and other sexual crimes, with the subcategory selected as: Man pretends to be Hindu. The tertiary category selected is: Wears symbols of Hinduism. 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. This case is a targeted act against a Hindu minor rather than merely an individual criminal offence. The accused deliberately concealed his religious identity and exploited the girl's trust by presenting himself as a Hindu. He deliberately concealed his religious identity to initiate and sustain a relationship with the Hindu girl. This itself is a clear manifestation of bias and malicious intent towards the victim's religion. By concealing his true identity, he exploited her trust, targeting her under false pretences. This indicates a premeditated intent to manipulate her based on her religious background. In cases like these, the tactic of adopting a false Hindu identity to manipulate and "ensnare" a Hindu individual is not just an act of personal betrayal but can also be interpreted as an expression of disdain or disregard for Hinduism and its customs that reflects a deeper animosity towards Hindus and their beliefs. Furthermore, the "Om" symbol and the Mahakal bracelet are significant in this case because they are widely recognised markers of Hindu faith and devotion. The accused displayed these Hindu religious symbols to present himself as a Hindu and gain the trust of the minor girl before the abduction. The use of an Om tattoo and a Mahakal bracelet created the impression that the accused was Hindu, leading the minor Hindu girl to trust him and continue the relationship under that belief before the abduction. The use of these symbols shows that they were employed not as expressions of religious belief, but as a means of concealing religious identity and facilitating the alleged deception. The use of revered Hindu symbols for deceptive purposes is an act of disrespect toward Hindu religious beliefs. The symbols were not expressions of faith but were instead used as tools of deception, which is highly offensive to the religious sentiments of Hindus. It is further important to note here that the victim was a minor, which means 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 getting into relationship or recognising such deception, and the Muslim perpetrator purposely targeted and exploited this vulnerability of the victim. Taken together, the deliberate concealment of the accused's religious identity, the calculated use of revered Hindu religious symbols to gain the trust of a minor Hindu girl, and the exploitation of her age and vulnerability demonstrate that the victim's religious identity was central to the commission of the offence. The incident therefore extends beyond an ordinary criminal act and constitutes a targeted act against a Hindu minor in which deception based on religious identity formed a key element of the crime.