Minor Hindu girl kidnapped by a Muslim man; victim confesses being groomed
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India 
28 February, 2025
Case Summary
A 14-year-old minor Hindu girl from Jabalpur was in connection with a Muslim man named Shahbuddin, who kidnapped and tried to elope with her. Shahbuddin was from Bihar but lived in Mumbai. They both met on Instagram and started chatting with each other. Shahbuddin reached Jabalpur and kidnapped the girl at midnight. Before the accused could elope with the minor girl from Jabalpur, Hindu organizations caught both of them at the Jabalpur railway station. Hindu Seva Parishad workers have handed over the accused Shahabuddin and the 14-year-old minor to the police. According to media reports, the 14-year-old minor lived in the Gorakhpur police station area of Jabalpur. She was in contact with Shahabuddin, a resident of Bihar and working in Mumbai, for some time. The leaders of Hindu Seva Parishad alleged that some objectionable photos and videos were found on the mobile of the accused Shahabuddin. In the police interrogation, the teenager said that the youth had lured her to run away from home. The police registered a case of kidnapping against the accused Shahbuddin and handed over the minor girl to her family. The police arrested the accused and presented him in the court. On the orders of the court, the accused youth was sent to jail.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
Since the victim in this case is a minor, there is a strong suspicion that grooming may have been involved. Grooming is a well-documented phenomenon in which Muslim men deliberately target minor non-Muslim girls for sexual exploitation, abuse, and rape, often with the intent of coercing them into conversion or long-term subjugation. Given this context, the fact that the accused lured the Hindu minor raises serious concerns. However, while the victim has explicitly accused the perpetrator of deception and entrapment, there is no concrete evidence at this stage to confirm that religious animosity or a conversion agenda was a motivating factor behind the crime. Key indicators such as forced religious conversion or religious coercion are absent from the available information. For these reasons, this case has been added to the Undecided database. Should further details emerge that establish a clear religious motive—such as attempts to forcibly convert the victim or specific targeting of her Hindu identity—it will be reclassified as a religiously motivated hate crime.
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 1
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Perpetrator held guilty by court
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
