Hindu woman befriended and lured away for religious conversion by Muslim man

Case ID : a049362 | Location : Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Thu, 6 November, 2025

Case ID : a049362

Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, India

6 November, 2025

Hindu woman befriended and lured away for religious conversion by Muslim man

Undecided cases

Case Summary

In Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, a Hindu woman was lured for religious conversion by a Muslim man named Shavez. According to reports, the accused from Sikhreda village, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, lured a Hindu woman from Madhya Pradesh and brought her to his native village. The accused, who worked as a contractor in a factory in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, had developed contact with the victim and persuaded her to leave her home and travel with him to Muzaffarnagar. The incident came to light when Yashveer Maharaj, director of the Baghra Yoga Sadhana Ashram, a Hindu organisation, received information that a young Hindu woman had been taken by the Muslim accused with the intention of religious conversion. Acting on this tip-off, he immediately informed the police. The Sikhreda police raided the accused’s residence, where they found Shavez and rescued the Hindu woman. They were brought to the police station for questioning. The woman’s family and local police from Madhya Pradesh were informed, and they travelled to Muzaffarnagar to take her back. Police confirmed that the victim had been handed over to her family and the Madhya Pradesh police, while the accused remained in custody for interrogation. However, police said that no religious conversion had taken place.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

In this case, a Hindu woman was lured for religious conversion by the Muslim accused Shavez. 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. However, it is equally important to note that there was a lack of information about whether the victim was an adult at the time of her disappearance. If she were an adult, she would be 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. It is 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. Furthermore, the account of religious conversion comes from Yashveer Maharaj, who informed the police and rescued the victim. Police also said that there was no religious conversion and no statements from the victim herself exist. 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 uncertain 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. Since the victim was taken away on 7th November 2025, the date of the incident has been selected as such.