Hindu woman sexually exploited by Muslim man posing as Hindu; accused wore kalawa and tilak to present himself as Hindu

Case ID : 90a0c55 | Location : Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Wed, 2 April, 2025

Case ID : 90a0c55

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India

2 April, 2025

Hindu woman sexually exploited by Muslim man posing as Hindu; accused wore kalawa and tilak to present himself as Hindu

Crimes against women in relationships and other sexual crimes

Man pretends to be Hindu

Wears symbols of Hinduism

Case Summary

In Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim man sexually exploited a Dalit Hindu woman by lying to her about his identity. The culprit, Asif Qureshi, misled the woman by introducing himself as a Hindu man named Ashish Sahu. Qureshi used to wear a kalawa and a tilak to portray himself as a Hindu. He even forged a fake Aadhaar card with the name Ashish Sahu written on it. Qureshi used the same Aadhaar card to book the hotel room on the day of the incident. Qureshi booked a room in the Rajdhani hotel in Faridpur on Thursday (3rd April). He took the victim to the hotel room where he sexually exploited her by promising to marry her. However, she came to know about his identity and informed her family about the incident. The victim’s father informed the police police and lodged a complaint at the Faridpur police station against Qureshi. Qureshi was arrested by the police.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of- Crimes against women in relationships and other sexual crimes. The sub-category selected under this is- Man pretends to be Hindus, and 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. Here, a Muslim youth posed as a Hindu, wore a kalawa (a sacred thread worn by Hindus), and established a sexual relationship with a Hindu woman under false pretences. 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. Moreover, in Hinduism, the Tilak and Kalawa hold deep religious, cultural, and spiritual significance. It symbolises protection, blessings, unity, and commitment to spiritual and ethical principles. Its use across various rituals and ceremonies underscores its importance in the Hindu way of life. By exploiting religious symbols and rituals sacred to Hindus, the Muslim accused not only betrayed the woman's trust but also showed a profound disrespect for her faith. The act of deception indicates a premeditated intent to manipulate the victim 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, and this is why this case has been added here.