Hindu woman deceived by a Muslim man posing as a tilak-wearing Hindu, pressured to convert and assaulted upon refusal
Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India 
31 December, 2010
Case Summary
In Ujjain, a Hindu woman filed a complaint against a Muslim man, Shahrukh, who introduced himself as Yogendra Wadia, posing as a Hindu to win her trust. When his true identity was revealed, he forced her to convert to Islam and assaulted her. The victim met Shahrukh 15 years ago when she went to the garage to repair her scooter. Shahrukh repaired her scooter and took her mobile number, and started sending messages. Soon, a relationship was developed between them. For fourteen years, the accused maintained this false identity, attending Hindu festivals, applying a tilak, wearing a Kalava on his wrist and living in a manner indistinguishable from Hindu men. Over this period, he established a physical relationship with the woman under the pretext of marriage. The truth came to light only when the woman discovered two identity cards in his possession – one bearing the name Yogendra Wadia and the other identifying him as Shahrukh, son of Salim Khan. The complainant further stated that Shahrukh had married another woman while continuing to deceive her with promises of marriage. She also submitted photographs showing him observing Karwa Chauth and wearing a tilak. Following this discovery, the woman confronted the man, who admitted to being Muslim and concealing his religious identity. According to the complaint, Shahrukh’s behaviour changed drastically after his real identity was exposed. He became violent, assaulted the woman, pressured her to convert to Islam, and took her money. The police registered a case under the relevant provisions. Shahrukh was arrested, and authorities were verifying the two Aadhaar cards seized from him.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker un the primary category of - Crimes against women in relationships and other sexual crimes. The sub-category selected here is - Man pretends to be Hindu, with the tertiary sub-categories being - Name changed and 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. The other sub-category selected is- Blackmailed to convert. When Hindu women are in a relationship with non-Hindu men, there are cases where the woman is blackmailed to convert her religion, owing to her religious identity of being a Hindu. Such relationships may be consensual with the religious identity of the non-Hindu man known to the victim, however, there could be cases where the relationship is not consensual and the non-Hindu man starts blackmailing a Hindu woman to convert her religion. In these cases, it is often seen that the Hindu woman is blackmailed with intimate photos and/or videos, threats of harm to her or her family, threats of violence etc. Such cases are driven by specific religious motivations and against the religious identity of the victim and are therefore qualified as hate crimes. The second category under which this case has been placed is- Predatory Proselytisation, and within this, the sub-category selected is- Harassment, threats, coercion for conversion. Harassment covers a wide range of behaviours of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour that demeans, humiliates, and intimidates a person, including threats and coercion. Harassment and threats, in this case, find their root on discriminatory grounds which has the effect of nullifying a person’s rights or infringing upon his freedom to exercise his right specifically owing to the victim’s religious identity. Verbal and physical threats and psychological or physical harassment are often used against Hindu victims because they choose to practice their professed religion. Religious harassment also includes forced and involuntary conversions by harassment, threats or coercion. Coercion includes intimidatory tactics like force-feeding a Hindu victim beef to convert to another religion, forceful circumcision etc. In several cases documented, non-Hindu perpetrators or those who harbour specific animosity towards Hinduism, harass victims simply based on their religious identity. Such cases often also include harassment to ensure the Hindu victim abandons his/her professed religion and adopts the religion of the perpetrator. Such cases where Hindu victims are harassed to convert to the perpetrator’s religion are rooted in animosity towards the victim’s religious identity and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. This case constitutes a hate crime because a Hindu woman was deceived for 14 years into believing she was in a genuine relationship with a man who appeared to be of her religion, while the truth was that he was a Muslim concealing his true identity and pretending to be a Hindu. He took on a Hindu name, wore the Hindu religious symbols like Tilak and Kalava. He also participated with her in celebrating Hindu festivals. The perpetrator's actions of posing as a Hindu by wearing a sacred thread and applying a tilak to befriend the Hindu girl represented a deliberate and calculated deception aimed at exploiting her religious identity and trust. This facade was not merely a personal disguise but a manipulation of cultural and religious symbols that hold significant meaning in Hinduism. By adopting these symbols, Shahrukh sought to create a false sense of familiarity and acceptance, making it easier to engage with the girl and ultimately pursue his agenda. After being cheated for almost 14 years, the victim discovered that Shahrukh had been hiding his real religious identity all along. This revelation changed the Muslim man's attitude towards her. He became aggressive, pressuring her to convert to his religion and resorting to threats and violence when she did not comply. He also manipulated her financially, leaving her feeling betrayed on multiple levels. The coercion to convert to Islam adds another layer of religious hate, as it attempts to strip the victim of her religious freedom and force her into a belief system against her will. This type of exploitation, particularly when it involves coercion, threats, and religious deception, highlights a profound disrespect for the victim's faith and autonomy. It is a deliberate and calculated attempt to exert control over her, using religion as a tool of manipulation and domination. Such actions are rooted in religious intolerance and are clear manifestations of religiously motivated hate. Disclaimer: Media reports state that the victim's ordeal began when she met the accused in 2011, though no exact date or month is provided. To document this case, we have used an indicative date—January 1, 2011—as a placeholder to represent the beginning of her suffering. While media coverage of the incident emerged on May 1, 2025, the Hinduphobia Tracker records the incident based on when the victim’s ordeal began, not when it was reported.
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 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
