Case Summary

In the Baroli village in Dewas district, Madhya Pradesh, a 16-year-old Dalit Hindu girl committed suicide due to consistent harassment and mental torture by a Muslim youth named Aman Sheikh. The victim was a class 10 student from Sonkatch, who hanged herself when she was alone at home. Family members of the victim stated that a Muslim youth named Aman Sheikh had been harassing the girl for nearly six months. He used to molest her on her way to school and was constantly pressuring her to run away with him. He also threatened to kill her entire family if she refused to comply. The family did not report this incident to the police, fearing social stigma and threats to their safety. The constant harassment and threats deeply affected the minor girl, leading her to take her own life. Her sister-in-law discovered her body and immediately informed both the family and the local police. As of the date of writing this report, a case was registered by the police under the POCSO Act and the SC/ST Act. The investigation was ongoing, and efforts were underway to nab the accused, who was absconding.

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Why it is Hate Crime ?

In this case, a 16-year-old Dalit Hindu girl committed suicide due to constant harassment and mental torture by the Muslim youth. This could potentially be a crime motivated by religious profiling, as it has been observed that in many cases where Muslim perpetrators target Hindu women and minor girls due to inherent animosity towards Hindus. However, it is equally possible that the crime was one of opportunity, where the Hindu girl was simply accessible to the Muslim perpetrator. Meanwhile, it could also be argued that for a Muslim perpetrator, a Muslim girl would likely be more accessible than a Hindu girl. The fact that the perpetrator specifically targeted the Hindu girl could suggest religious profiling of the victim. Nevertheless, this remains speculative, as the case details provide no clear indication of religious motivations. Furthermore, neither the victim nor her family made any statements suggesting a religious motive behind the crime. For this reason, this case has been added to the 'Undecided' database. If further information emerges that hints towards a religious motivation behind this crime, then it would be reclassified and included under the Hate Crime database.