Woman who converted to Hinduism from Islam faces death threats and legal harassment from her family

Case ID : aa4af8d | Location : Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Mon, 21 April, 2025

Case ID : aa4af8d

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India

21 April, 2025

Woman who converted to Hinduism from Islam faces death threats and legal harassment from her family

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

In the Baradari police station area in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a young Hindu woman appealed to the Senior Superintendent of Police for protection, citing threats to her life following her religious conversion and interfaith marriage. The woman, born on 31 May 2004, stated that she is legally an adult and has converted to Hinduism of her own volition. She further informed the authorities that she had married a Hindu man, Amit, the son of Prem Shankar, in a consensual ceremony. The woman submitted all relevant documents regarding her religious conversion and marriage to the concerned officials. In her statement, the woman stated that her natal family is enraged by her decision and has been threatening her, her husband, and her in-laws with death. She further reported that her natal family was attempting to falsely implicate her husband and his family in legal cases as a form of retaliation. Fearing for her and her new family’s safety, the woman wrote a formal letter requesting protection. Copies of the letter were sent to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, the District Magistrate of Bareilly, the Superintendent of Police (City), and the Station House Officer of Baradari. In her plea, she demanded immediate police protection and legal action against her natal family for issuing threats and attempting to sabotage her legally valid marriage.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the category- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Attacked for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. This incident qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime due to the clear targeting of the victim based on her Hindu identity, which was established following her voluntary conversion. The woman's family expressed hostility solely because the woman had embraced Hinduism, a decision that conflicted with their own religious beliefs. The threats to kill her and her Hindu husband underscore the coercion and animosity rooted in religious intolerance. Additionally, the threat of falsely implicating her husband and his family in legal cases further highlights the woman's family's intent to intimidate and demean the couple, not just as individuals but specifically because of their Hindu faith. This act of harassment and threat, driven by disdain for her religious choice, demonstrates a deliberate attempt to suppress her freedom of religion and expression. Consequently, this case has been added to the tracker.