Minor Hindu girl molested by Muslim youth in Rishikesh
Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India 
13 November, 2024
Case Summary
In Rishikesh, a Muslim man named Shadab lured and molested a minor Hindu girl. Rishikesh Kotwali, in-charge, Rajendra Kholia, reported that the father of the minor victim filed a written complaint at the Rishikesh police station. According to the complaint, in the Bharat Bihar fair held within the IDPL outpost area of Rishikesh, a young man named Shadab grabbed his minor daughter’s hand, lured her away from the fair to a spot behind a truck, and there, Shadab molested her. Based on the FIR, Shadab was arrested under relevant sections and presented to the court.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In this case, a minor Hindu girl was lured away and molested by a Muslim man. This case raises serious concerns about possible religious profiling, as there have been numerous instances where Muslim men have targeted Hindu girls, particularly minors, due to deep-seated animosity towards the Hindu community. One could also argue that, if the Muslim perpetrator had simply sought a relationship, a Muslim girl might have been more accessible to him than a Hindu girl. The deliberate targeting of a Hindu girl strongly suggests that religious profiling may have played a role. However, it is also equally possible that this was a crime of opportunity rather than an instance of a religiously motivated crime. It is also crucial to emphasise that the victim in this case is a minor. Any supposed “consent” from her is legally invalid under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Minors are immature and cannot make adult decisions like being in a romantic relationship with anyone or eloping with them. However, it is important to acknowledge that, at this stage, there is no conclusive evidence confirming a religious motive, and the victim’s family has not made any statements to that effect. As such, this case has been placed in the ‘Undecided’ database. If further information emerges indicating a religious motivation behind the crime, then the case will be reclassified and included in the Hate Crime database. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that the report does not specify the exact date when the girl was molested. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported in the media.
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 1
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
