Elderly Hindu woman tourist brutally raped by Muslim man in Kashmir
Pahlgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India 
27 June, 2025
Case Summary
In Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, a 70-year-old Hindu woman from Maharashtra was brutally raped by a Muslim man named Zubair Ahmad Bhatt. The incident occurred in April 2025. The victim had travelled to Kashmir with her family. While she was alone at the hotel, the accused, Zubair Ahmad Bhat, entered her room and violently raped the elderly woman. The accused gagged her with a blanket and then launched a violent sexual attack. Media coverage provided limited information, and the case only came to public attention after the judge denied bail to the accused. The matter reached the Sessions Court, where Sessions Judge Tahir Khurshid Raina refused to grant bail, describing the crime as “depravity of the highest degree” and indicative of a “sick mentality”. In rejecting the bail application, the Principal Sessions Judge emphasised that the general legal principle of “bail, not jail” could not be applied indiscriminately when serious factors were involved. The court observed that none of the arguments presented by the accused’s counsel were sufficient to convince the court that continued custody was unjustified. The judge firmly stated that the investigation was ongoing and had not yet reached the charge sheet stage, making bail premature and unwarranted. The Principal Sessions Judge stated, “I do not find any of the grounds pleaded in the application or arguments advanced by the counsel for the accused sufficient to influence the judicial conscience of this court to describe the incarceration of the accused as legally unsustainable and unwarranted at this stage of the investigation, which has yet to culminate in a charge sheet.” The judge further remarked, “The incident is highly unfortunate, condemnable by all possible words, and ought to have jolted the conscience of a society which claims its foundations are based on rich ethical values and culture, but now stands shaken to the core.” The court added, “A revered guest, who was visiting the land of saints and seers, was treated so shabbily and shockingly that, for all time to come, she will regret her choice of place to spend a period of her old age with her children.” The judge continued, “It is not an isolated act to be ignored, but a reflection of the highest degree of depravity and sick mentality prevailing in society, which must bow its head in shame and invite serious introspection as to what it stands for, and how that has now collapsed.” The judgement further stated, “This court, which witnesses daily the reflection of the probity level of this society, expresses its concern that it is hopelessly being eroded on various fronts. The sooner the guardians, conscience keepers, watchdogs, and philanthropists of this society rise to the occasion to address what is going wrong on the moral front, the better it will be for saving Kashmir as the paradise on earth in its true sense.”
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In this case, an elderly Hindu widow was brutally raped by a Muslim man named Zubair Ahmad Bhatt. This could potentially be a crime motivated by religious profiling, as it has been observed that in many cases, Muslim perpetrators target Hindu women due to inherent animosity towards Hindus and their faith. Hindu women and girls are very vulnerable to crimes like rape and sexual assault at the hands of Muslim men. However, it is also possible that the crime was one of opportunity, where the Hindu woman was simply accessible to the Muslim perpetrator. Meanwhile, it could also be argued that for a Muslim perpetrator, a Muslim woman would likely be more accessible than a Hindu woman. The fact that the perpetrator specifically targeted a Hindu woman could suggest religious profiling of the victim. Nevertheless, this remains highly speculative, as the case details provide no clear indication of religious motivations. Furthermore, the victim has not 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. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that the report does not specify the exact date when the woman was raped. 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 0
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 1
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
