Hindu woman lured with marriage promise, forcibly converted to Islam and married to Muslim man in Yavatmal, Maharashtra
Yavatmal, Maharashtra, India 
28 September, 2026
Case Summary
In Digras, Yavatmal district, Maharashtra, a 29-year-old Hindu woman was lured with a promise of marriage by a Muslim man, Sheikh Sameer Sheikh Noor, who converted to Islam before marriage. The woman's mother stated in her complaint that the promise of marriage had been used to bring about her daughter's religious conversion. On the morning of 29 September 2026, the woman left her home, saying that she was going to collect her college hall ticket. However, she did not return home for a considerable period. Following her disappearance, her family approached Digras Police Station on 30 September 2026 and filed a missing-person report. On 8 October 2026, the woman's mother received information that Sheikh Sameer Sheikh Noor, aged 30 and a resident of Motinagar, Digras, had converted her daughter to Islam and married her. Following this information, her mother lodged a complaint stating that her daughter had been induced to convert through a promise of marriage. The complaint also named Sheikh Noor, aged 55 and the father of Sameer, and Sheikh Bilal, aged 29 and a resident of Chandnagar, Digras, for assisting in the incident. Following the complaint, Digras Police registered a case against all three men under various provisions of the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, and other relevant legal provisions. Additional Superintendent of Police Ashok Thorat confirmed the case registration and said the investigation was ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the Undecided database because there isn't enough conclusive evidence at this stage to confirm a religious motive. Based on the statements of the victim's mother, there is a strong suspicion that the Hindu woman was lured by Muslim men for religious conversion and nikah. This could potentially be a crime motivated by religious profiling, as it has been observed that in many cases, Muslim perpetrators target Hindu women/girls due to inherent animosity towards Hindus. Hindu females are very vulnerable to crimes like rape and forced conversion at the hands of Muslim men. The victim's mother specifically expressed fears that her daughter had been converted to Islam. These circumstances are consistent with patterns documented in several previous cases where Hindu women were isolated from their families and targeted for religious conversion. However, it is equally important to note that the victim was an adult at the time of her disappearance. Thus, she was legally capable of making her own decisions regarding her life. She has the legal right to choose her partner, adopt any religion, and marry as she wishes, provided her actions are consensual and free from force, duress, deception, or coercion. It is entirely possible that she acted of her own accord and left of her free will. Although being an adult does not eliminate the possibility of manipulation or coercion, it requires careful evaluation of the available evidence. While the account of the victim’s mother is significant, it should not be taken at face value in the absence of a statement from the victim herself, especially considering factors such as emotional distress and social stigma that may influence his perspective. While the facts available at present raise legitimate concerns that warrant documentation and continued monitoring, Hinduphobia Tracker applies a consistent evidentiary standard before classifying an incident as a hate crime. Given that the victim was an adult, that her statement is presently unavailable, and that the investigation is ongoing, the evidence currently available is insufficient to conclusively establish religious motivation or coercion. Therefore, we added this case to the Undecided database. If further verified information emerges, including the victim's own account or evidence of coercion, deception, or religiously motivated targeting, we will review and update the case classification accordingly. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when an event occurred or when the victim's ordeal began. It is important to clarify that none of the media sources covering this case has specified the exact date when the incident occurred. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date as 29th September 2026, when the Hindu woman left home to collect her college hall ticket and subsequently went missing.
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 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
