Muslim man pretends to be Hindu and marries woman in temple, forces her to convert and remarry; attempts to sacrifice minor son in black magic
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India 
12 September, 2024
Case Summary
A woman from Bengaluru filed a police complaint seeking protection for herself and her 3-year-old son after discovering that her husband, Sadam, had deceived her by pretending to be a Hindu. She said that Sadam, who had introduced himself as a Hindu named Aadhi Eshwar when they met in 2020, married her under false pretences, and later forced her into an Islamic marriage and conversion. According to the woman, Sadam initially won her trust and convinced her to marry him in November 2020 through Hindu rituals, making her believe he was of the same faith. After their marriage, Sadam revealed his true identity and coerced her into remarrying him under Islamic customs, promising that it would bring good fortune. He pressured her to convert to Islam, assigned her a Muslim name, and made her sign Islamic marriage documents. Despite her compliance, the abuse began almost immediately and worsened over time. She faced repeated physical assaults, even during her pregnancy. In 2021, the woman gave birth to their son, after which Sadam reportedly started talking about sacrificing the child in a black magic ritual to gain wealth. She further accused him of planning to harm her and her mother as part of the ritual. Fearing for their safety, she left their home in KR Puram and relocated to Tumakuru. However, Sadam, along with his associate Langda Nayaz—who had been present during the Islamic marriage ceremony—tracked her down. On September 13, 2024, the two men trespassed into her new home and attempted to abduct her son. The woman requested police protection, holding Sadam responsible for any harm that might come to her, her son, or her mother. The KR Puram police acknowledged receiving her initial complaint but stated they had advised her to approach the jurisdictional police near her residence. They also claimed difficulty in contacting Sadam due to an unresponsive phone number. The police assured further action under senior officers' instructions. Sadam is reportedly employed as a welder.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Crimes against women in relationships and other sexual crimes. Within this, the first sub-category under which this case has been placed is- Man pretends to be Hindu and the tertiary categories selected under this is- 'Name changed' and 'Marries as per Hindu rituals'. 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 second category under which this case has been placed is- Forced conversion after marriage and within this, the tertiary category selected is- Forced to do Nikah. In such cases, a non-Hindu man marries a Hindu woman and the force/pressure to convert to Islam begins after marriage. In such cases, the marriage is consensual in most cases and often, there is no element of the man hiding his religious identity. The marriage could be under the Special Marriages Act where neither parties are required to convert their religion for the marriage to be considered legitimate. While the victim in such cases enters matrimony assuming that religious identity is not a barrier, the non-Hindu man starts to pressure the woman to convert to Islam after marriage. In such cases, there is application of force by the perpetrator, including, denial of the woman’s religious rights. Some of the means by which the woman is forced/pressured to convert include force-feeding beef, forced to read the Kalma, forced to wear a hijab, forced for Halala, etc. There are several instances where after marriage, the woman voluntarily converts to Islam. Such cases are often argued to be a result of religious brainwashing, however, for the purpose of documenting religiously motivated hate crimes, in the absence of the victim complaining of forced conversion, such cases do not form a part of the database. The third category relevant here is- Torture of family to force woman to convert. When Hindu women are in a relationship with non-Hindu men, there are cases where the woman is forced to convert her religion. Several methods are used for such forced conversion. The non-Hindu man is often documented to issue threats and even employ violence. One of the ways used by such perpetrators is threatening and/or torturing the family members of the Hindu woman to pressure her to convert. The perpetrators in such cases issue threats to harm or torture the family of the woman. In some cases, there is also violence directed towards the family to force the Hindu woman to convert. Such crimes aim to blackmail the victim into changing her religion by inducing fear of harm to her family. Such cases are driven by specific religious motivations and against the religious identity of the victim and are therefore qualified as hate crimes. In this instance, the Muslim perpetrator concealed his religious identity and married the Hindu woman in a Temple to deceive and trap her. This act of deception severely compromises the woman’s ability to make informed decisions regarding her relationship and religious choices. Furthermore, once his true identity was revealed, he attempted to pressure her into converting to Islam, marrying him per Islamic rituals, assigning her a Muslim name, and making her sign Islamic marriage documents. Further, he also assaulted her and mentally harassed her by talking about sacrificing the child in a black magic ritual to gain wealth. All these actions constituted a direct assault on her religious freedom. Such coercion infringes upon her right to practice her faith and maintain her religious identity. Forced conversion, whether through threats, manipulation, or emotional pressure, is a grave violation of religious rights and can be viewed as an effort to erase her cultural and religious identity. The deception of making a Hindu woman believe he shared her faith, only to later demand she abandon her religion, indicates a deep-seated contempt for her religious beliefs. This behaviour exemplifies an attempt to subjugate her faith, reinforcing notions of religious superiority and intolerance. The intent to change her religious identity through deceit and pressure underscores the underlying religious hatred and bigotry, driven by animosity toward the victim's religion.
Victim Details
Total Victim
3
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 2
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 3
Age Group
- Minor 1
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 1
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
