Hindu girl deceived by a Muslim man posing as a tilak-wearing Hindu, pressured to convert and raped upon refusal
Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India 
31 December, 2021
Case Summary
In the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, a 22-year-old Hindu student was deceived and sexually assaulted by a Muslim man who falsely presented himself as a Hindu. The student, who had come from another city for her education, met the man in 2022 through social media while she was living in a rented room in the Gopalganj area. Introducing himself as “Golu” from Makronia, he consistently wore a tilak on his forehead and took her to local Hindu temples such as Baijra Mandir and Baheria Shankarji Mandir to gain her trust. Over time, a relationship developed under this false identity. In May–June 2024, the man arranged for her to move into a new room in Makronia. During the monsoon that year, he visited her on her birthday, celebrated with cake, and then sexually assaulted her in the room. He continued to exploit her sexually under the false promise of marriage. Eventually, she discovered that his real name was Farhan and that he was from Sadar Cantonment. Upon learning his actual religious identity, she began to distance herself from him. On the night of 7 December 2024, Farhan entered her room again and threatened to defame her. He sexually assaulted her once more and pressured her to convert. On 30th April 2025, she visited the temple, where Farhan came and threatened her to convert. Unable to bear the abuse, the student informed her family, who then approached the police. A case was filed against Farhan under multiple sections. At the time of writing this report, the investigation was ongoing, and the police were searching for the accused.
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 other sub-category selected is- Assault or threat upon refusal to convert. When Hindu women are in a relationship with non-Hindu men, there are cases where the woman faces threats or assault after she refuses to convert and change her religious identity owing to pressure/force by the non-Hindu man. Such relationships may be consensual with the religious identity of the non-Hindu man known to the victim. Somewhere along the relationship, the non-Hindu man starts pressurizing the Hindu woman to convert to Islam and upon her refusal, assaults or threatens the victim. Such cases are driven by specific religious motivations and against the religious identity of the victim and are therefore qualified as hate crimes. Cases where the Hindu woman converts to Islam and does not file a complaint about the force or threat, are not considered a part of the hate tracker, even though, it may be argued that the woman was brainwashed or threatened to convert to Islam. The fourth sub-category selected is- Rape for refusal to convert. When Hindu women are in a relationship with non-Hindu men, there are cases where the woman faces pressure/threats/violence to convert and change her religious identity by the non-Hindu man. Such relationships may be consensual with the religious identity of the non-Hindu man known to the victim. Somewhere along the relationship, the non-Hindu man starts pressuring the Hindu woman to convert. In some of these cases, the association could be non-consensual as well or, the religious identity of the non-Muslim man could be previously unknown to the Hindu victim. As the case may be, in such cases, the non-Hindu man forces himself sexually on the Hindu woman when she refuses his advances and pressures to convert her religion. The rape of the woman is often seen as either a punishment for the woman refusing to convert. Such cases are driven by specific religious motivations and against the religious identity of the victim and are therefore qualified as hate crimes. This case is a hate crime because a Hindu woman was in a relationship with a man she believed shared her faith. He had taken on a Hindu name, wore a tilak, and accompanied her to Hindu temples and festivals. The perpetrator's actions of posing as a Hindu by wearing a sacred thread and applying a tilak to befriend a Hindu girl represent a deliberate and calculated deception aimed at exploiting her religious identity and trust. This facade was not merely a personal disguise; it was a manipulation of cultural and religious symbols that hold significant meaning in Hinduism. By adopting these symbols, the accused sought to create a false sense of familiarity and acceptance, making it easier to engage with the girl and ultimately pursue his agenda. Further, the accused leveraged this trust and kept sexually exploiting her under the false promise of marriage. When she eventually discovered that he had been hiding his real identity as a Muslim, she began to pull away from the relationship. After that, the man forced his way into her room, sexually assaulted her, and threatened to ruin her reputation unless she agreed to convert to his religion. The violence and pressure she faced were not random acts, but closely linked to her refusal to change her faith. She endured not just physical harm but also emotional trauma, as her trust was deeply betrayed. This pattern of behaviour reflects a desire to assert religious superiority and impose one set of beliefs on another group. This type of targeted violence is not just an individual crime but a hate crime with broader social and religious implications. It stems from the perpetrator's deep animosity towards the victim's faith. This is why this case has been included in the tracker. Disclaimer: Media reports state that the victim's ordeal began when she met the accused in 2022, though no exact date or month is provided. To document this case, we have used an indicative date—January 1, 2022—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 
