Hindu woman in Shimla subjected to sexual assault and threats by Muslim boutique owner

Case ID : 9957e9c | Location : Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Sat, 5 July, 2025

Case ID : 9957e9c

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

5 July, 2025

Hindu woman in Shimla subjected to sexual assault and threats by Muslim boutique owner

Undecided cases

One sided obsession with Hindu woman

Case Summary

In Shimla, a Hindu woman employed at the Sania Fashion Boutique in Kusumpti was subjected to sexual assault and threats by Mohammad Shahdab, the boutique owner. Shahdab entered the woman’s residence, where she worked on stitching assignments taken from the boutique, and attempted to sexually assault her. He also issued death threats and warned that he would circulate her personal photos and videos online if she reported the incident. The woman had been employed at the boutique, operated by Shahdab and his brother Bilal, and was engaged in off-site work involving garment stitching. According to community members and associates of the victim, Shahdab had been attempting to emotionally manipulate the woman by feigning romantic interest with the intention of ensnaring her in a fraudulent relationship. Locals have contextualised this within a broader pattern of religiously motivated targeting. Public anger quickly escalated in Kusumpti Market. A video circulated on social media captured residents demanding the immediate arrest of the accused and voicing their discontent over the presence of such establishments operated by outsiders. Protesters insisted that individuals involved in such acts should not be allowed to conduct business in their area. Two days after the incident, the woman visited the boutique to collect her belongings. At that point, Bilal threatened her and attempted to dissuade her from approaching the police. On 11th July 2025, supported by the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, the victim filed a formal police complaint. The group announced their intention to stage mass protests if the authorities failed to arrest the accused promptly. They further called for the boutique’s closure and demanded broader action against “migrant elements” implicated in similar offences. BJP District President Shri Keshav Chauhan addressed the issue via social media, stating that no action had been taken despite the seriousness of the matter. He demanded immediate arrests and underscored the rising frequency of such incidents in Shimla. Chauhan emphasised the need for a swift and firm legal response.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

In this case, a Hindu woman was molested and threatened by Muslim men. This could potentially be a crime motivated by religious profiling, as it has been observed that in many cases, Muslim perpetrators target Hindu women due to inherent animosity towards Hindus and their faith. Hindu women and girls are very vulnerable to crimes like rape and sexual assault at the hands of Muslim men. However, it is also possible that the crime was one of opportunity, where the Hindu woman was simply accessible to the Muslim perpetrators. Meanwhile, it could also be argued that for Muslim perpetrators, a Muslim woman would likely be more accessible than a Hindu woman. The fact that the perpetrators specifically targeted a Hindu woman could suggest religious profiling of the victim. Nevertheless, this remains highly speculative, as the case details provide no clear indication of religious motivations. Furthermore, the victim has not made any statements suggesting a religious motive behind the crime. For this reason, this case has been added to the 'Undecided' database. If further information emerges that hints towards a religious motivation behind this crime, then it would be reclassified and included under the Hate Crime database.