Hindu woman lured and kidnapped by Muslim man in Devprayag, Uttarakhand
Devaprayag, Uttarakhand, India 
27 June, 2025
Case Summary
A Hindu girl was lured and kidnapped by a Muslim man working in Bhalle village, Devprayag, Uttarakhand. The incident stirred strong reactions from villagers, who identified it as part of a deliberate effort they described as “love jihad.” The man had been residing in the village under the pretext of employment for some time before carrying out the act. Following the discovery, residents organised a protest march through the local market. They accused outsiders of targeting Hindu girls in a bid to undermine the religious composition of the region. Demands were raised for a formal investigation and decisive administrative action. A public assembly was held, where former village head Jayanti Dangwal called for a social boycott of all Muslim residents in the area. He announced the formation of a monitoring group to oversee activities linked to “love jihad” and “land jihad” and to track non-local entrants. Local figure Ganesh Bhatt urged the Hindu youth of the hills to take up trades such as farming, repair work, and construction, to ensure community self-reliance and reduce dependence on outside labour. The villagers also raised concerns over the unchecked presence of outsiders and called for mandatory identity verification every six months for all non-local workers. This was presented as essential to prevent further incidents.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case reported from Bhalle village in Devprayag, Uttarakhand, involving the luring and kidnapping of a Hindu girl by a Muslim man residing in the area, sparked a strong communal response rooted in both recent and long-standing concerns. The individual in question had been working in the village and, using that access, lured the girl away from her home under deceptive circumstances. This case raises serious questions as to whether the Hindu girl was religiously profiled and targeted by the Muslim perpetrator. In many instances, Muslim perpetrators have targeted Hindu women for sexual exploitation, often due to underlying religious animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism. However, it is also possible that the crime was opportunistic, with the perpetrator finding the Hindu girl accessible and deciding to exploit her. Some might argue that Muslim perpetrators would have easier access to Muslim girls compared to Hindu girls, so the specific targeting of a Hindu girl could be an indication of a religious motivation behind the crime. In the absence of explicit evidence pointing to religious coercion or conversion, the case has been recorded in the Undecided database. If further information emerges that indicates that this case was motivated by religious animosity, then it would be categorised under the hate crime database. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that the report does not specify the exact date when the girl’s ordeal began. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the protests were reported following the incident, as the Hinduphobia Tracker records the incident based on when the victim’s ordeal began or the earliest date available, 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 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 1
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
