Hindu girl commits suicide after Muslim youth harasses her to convert to Islam and perform Nikah, blackmails her with obscene video
Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, India 
5 October, 2024
Case Summary
In Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, a polytechnic student committed suicide by hanging herself, due to persistent harassment from a Muslim youth pressuring her to marry him and convert to Islam. The incident occurred in the Mohalla Masoom Ali area under the Gunnaur police station. The victim's mother stated that the youth from their locality had been harassing her daughter for some time. Initially, the girl studied in Sambhal, but after the youth's harassment escalated, the family moved her to Badaun so that the girl could continue her studies in peace. However, the youth followed her there too and continued pressuring her to marry him and convert after marriage. The victim repeatedly refused the proposal, citing religious differences, but the youth began threatening to leak an obscene video of her if she did not comply. Unable to bear the constant harassment, the girl locked herself in a room late at night and took her own life. The mother demanded severe punishment for the accused, calling for his execution and the demolition of his house with a bulldozer. She also expressed fears for her family's safety, as they are the only Hindu family in the locality.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under the prime category of 'Hate crimes against women in relationships and sexual crimes' within the tracker. Under this, two sub-categories have been selected here. The first 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 her religion, owing to her religious identity of being 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 her 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 second sub-category relevant here is- Suicide for being forced to or pressured to convert. When Hindu women are in a relationship with non-Hindu men, there are cases where the woman faces pressure/threats/violence to convert and change her religious identity by the non-Hindu man. Such relationships may be consensual with the religious identity of the non-Hindu man known to the victim. Somewhere along the relationship, the non-Hindu man starts pressuring the Hindu woman to convert. In some of these cases, unable to bear the pressure/threat/violence being mounted by the non-Hindu partner to convert, the Hindu woman commits suicide. In such cases, often, threats are also given to the family members of the Hindu woman. Since such cases are driven by specific religious motivations and against the religious identity of the victim, leading to the woman committing suicide, these cases are categorized as hate crimes. In this case, a Hindu girl tragically ended her life after facing relentless harassment from a Muslim youth, who pressured her to convert to Islam and marry him. This act of coercion went beyond a personal relationship, crossing into the realm of religious persecution. The youth's insistence on the girl converting to Islam for marriage, coupled with threats of releasing her private photos, represents an attempt to impose religious conformity through fear and intimidation. Such pressure on her to abandon her faith violates her fundamental right to religious freedom, as it attempts to strip away her Hindu identity. The threat to release intimate images underscores the gravity of the intimidation, which was more than just a personal affront; it was a targeted effort to force the girl into abandoning her faith. Her resistance to conversion reflected her right to practice and preserve her religion, a right that should be free from threats of violence or coercion. This targeted pressure on religious grounds—seeking to erase her Hindu identity—is indicative of deep-rooted animosity toward her faith, contributing to this case being categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime. The central motivation of religion and the use of intimidation tactics underscore the hate-driven aspect of this tragic incident.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
1
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 registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
