Rashid kidnapped Satyam when he was 10 years old, converted him to Islam by luring him with money; key accused arrested after 19 years of being on the run
Uttar Pradesh, India 
13 September, 2024
Case Summary
In 2005, a 10-year-old Hindu boy named Satyam went missing from his home in Pilkhua, Uttar Pradesh. His mother, Manju Devi, filed a complaint at the Pilkhua police station, but despite several attempts to locate him, Satyam could not be found. After years of relentless searching, Manju eventually learned that her son was living in the Rampur district with a man named Rashid. Upon confronting him, Satyam revealed that he had been taken to Delhi shortly after his disappearance and later brought to Rampur by Rashid, a junk dealer. Rashid had lured Satyam with money, converted him to Islam, and changed his name to Sameer Khan. A false Aadhar card was created, listing Wajid Khan as his father. Over the years, Satyam had been brainwashed to the point where he no longer wished to return to his family. On 14th September 2024, after 19 years of being on the run, Rashid, the key accused in the conversion case, was located by the police in Rampur. During the encounter that followed, Rashid was injured and subsequently arrested. Police also recovered illegal weapons and ammunition from him.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of Predatory proselytisation. Under this, the sub-category chosen is- Proselytisation by brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. Further, within this, the tertiary category selected is- Conversion of minor. Religious brainwashing essentially means the often subtle and forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up their religious beliefs to accept contrasting regimented ideas. Religious brainwashing also involves propaganda and manipulation. It involves the systematic effort, driven by religious malice and indoctrination, to persuade “non-believers’ to accept allegiance, command, or doctrine to and of a contrasting faith. Cases of such brainwashing are far more nuanced than direct threats, coercion, inducement and violence. In such cases, it is often seen that there is repeated, subtle and continual manipulation of the victim to induce disaffection towards their own faith and acceptance of the contrasting faith of the perpetrator. While subtle indoctrination is widely acknowledged as predatory, an element which is often understated in such conversions or the attempts of such conversion is the role of loyalty and trust which might develop between the perpetrator and the victim. Fiduciary relationships are often abused to affect such religious conversion. For example, an educator transmitting religious doctrine of a competing faith to a Hindu student. The Hindu student is likely to accept what the teacher is transmitting owing to the existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinated victims would also be included in this category. Since the underlying animosity towards the victim’s faith forms the basis of predatory proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. In this case, the accused Rashid, abducted a minor Hindu child and then lured him with money. He subsequently converted him to Islam. Rashid's tactics of luring Satyam with money reveal a calculated approach that targets the vulnerabilities of a child, particularly those stemming from financial instability. The subsequent conversion to Islam and the creation of a false identity demonstrate a systematic effort to erase Satyam's original identity and beliefs, further exemplifying the predatory nature of Rashid's actions. Over the years, Satyam was subjected to psychological manipulation that led him to reject his family and former life. Here it is also important to note that the Hindu boy was a minor when he was abducted and subjected to proselytisation by brainwashing, manipulation, or subtle indoctrination. This essentially means that the element of consent and genuine change of conscience was missing ab initio. It is a well-established fact that children are more susceptible to manipulation since they are still developing emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Their brains are not fully matured, making them more vulnerable to influence and less capable of critically evaluating information. Since the underlying offence in this case was against children of a specific faith and involved subtle tactics of indoctrination, which obviously stems from a bias against the Hindu faith, this case is a clear case of religious hate.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 1
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
