Case Summary

In Fatehpur district, a 19-year-old Hindu girl named Puja Kumari was lured and abducted by a Muslim man named Sharif. The victim's father, Premlal, stated that the accused wanted to convert her to Islam for nikah (Islamic marriage). According to reports, the victim became acquainted with the accused while working together as labourers at a brick kiln. During this time, the accused frequently visited the victim’s home and gradually trapped her in a relationship. The victim’s father stated that his daughter went to the Thavai fair (mela) on 5 November 2025 and never returned. When he made inquiries, it was revealed that the accused had lured his daughter away under the pretext of marriage and had himself been missing since that day. The victim's father expressed concern that Sharif intended to convert her to Islam and perform nikah with her. Based on the complaint filed by the victim's father, the police registered a case against the accused and began a search operation. Inspector-in-charge S. B. Singh confirmed that efforts were underway to trace the missing girl.

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Why it is Hate Crime ?

In this case, a Hindu girl was lured and abducted by a Muslim man named Sharif. The accused had been in contact with the victim for some time and was therefore well aware of her religious identity. This could potentially be a crime motivated by religious profiling, as it has been observed in several instances where Muslim perpetrators have targeted Hindu women due to animosity towards Hindus and their faith. Hindu women and girls remain particularly vulnerable to crimes such as sexual exploitation and coercion by Muslim men, often committed with an underlying intent of religious conversion or sexual exploitation. However, it is equally important to note that the victim was an adult at the time of her disappearance and, therefore, legally capable of making her own decisions regarding her personal relationships. She has the legal right to choose her partner, elope, adopt any religion, and marry as she wishes, provided her actions are consensual and free from force, duress, deception, or coercion. Given that she was an adult, it remains entirely possible that she acted of her own free will and went away with the accused voluntarily. Though being an adult does not negate the possibility of manipulation or coercion, it requires cautious evaluation of the available evidence. While the account of the victim’s father 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. At Hinduphobia Tracker, we adhere to rigorous standards before categorising any incident as a religiously motivated hate crime. In this instance, as the victim was an adult and there was currently no direct evidence of coercion or harassment for conversion, thus, we are adding this case to the Undecided database. If any further information emerges indicating a religious motivation or confirming aspects of coercion or the victim's own statement, we will review the case and add it to the hate crime database. 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 have specified the exact date when the victim's ordeal began or when she came into contact with the accused. Therefore, for documentation purposes, the date of the incident has been recorded as 5 November 2025 - the day she went missing.