Hindu woman deceived into conversion and forced Nikah, trafficked to Saudi Arabia by Muslim man linked to Peer Chhangur's Islamic conversion gang
Karnataka, India 
16 July, 2019
Case Summary
A Hindu woman named Rashmi (name changed) from Karnataka was trafficked to Saudi Arabia and subjected to years of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse as part of a systematic religious conversion racket operated under the influence of Islamic preacher Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Peer. Under false pretences of marriage and employment, the woman was entrapped, manipulated, and eventually transported across international borders. Rashmi’s ordeal began in late 2019, shortly after she lost her elder brother, her only living relative. Left emotionally unguarded and socially adrift, she was contacted on Instagram by a man who presented himself as “Raju Rathore,” a Hindu Rajput. When she initially ignored his messages, another woman, posing as his sister-in-law, intervened to vouch for his character. To build trust, they used Hindu religious imagery and culturally familiar language, suggesting that Rashmi, who had no one left, would be given a new family. Raju claimed he was working in Saudi Arabia and invited her to join him there, encouraging her to restart her life. He arranged forged identity documents using her photograph, but with a falsified name. With no prior experience of international travel, and believing she was stepping into a secure future, Rashmi sold her house and beauty parlour to finance her journey. She was accompanied to the airport by Raju’s so-called family and escorted on the flight by a man who remained beside her until she landed in Saudi Arabia. Upon arrival, she met Raju, who initially maintained the Hindu façade. However, once inside the vehicle, he placed a call and said, “The package has arrived.” She later learned that “package” was the term used for trafficked Indian women. In Saudi Arabia, she was taken to a two-room flat in a locality she remembers as “Al-Badiha,” where a mock Hindu marriage ceremony was conducted. Within hours, Raju revealed his real name, Wasim. He insisted she convert to Islam and adopt the name Ayesha. When Rashmi refused, she was brutally beaten and raped for three consecutive days. Her passport and phone were seized. During this period, she met Badr Akhtar Siddiqui, another man linked to the conversion network. She overheard a conversation in which it was disclosed that Wasim had been paid Rs 15 lakh by Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Peer to bring her from India. Wasim then recorded an explicit video of his assault and used it to blackmail her into submission for months. After her visa expired, she was sent back to India, but the threats continued. She tried rebuilding her life quietly in Karnataka, but Wasim’s family began to harass her again, both directly and through associates from Saharanpur. Despite repeated threats, extortion, and job instability, she remained silent out of fear that the explicit video would be leaked. In May 2024, she was lured to Saharanpur under the pretext of resolving matters. There, she was abducted again by Wasim’s actual wife and family, beaten, and forced to eat beef. A few days later, she was gang-raped by over a dozen men, tortured, and taken to Jalaluddin’s compound. Instead of being helped, she was mocked. “Who will purchase her now?” he reportedly said, after seeing her injuries. She escaped only after being hospitalised under a false name. Her recovery began with the help of a Hindu organisation. On 3 June 2025, she underwent a Shuddhikaran ritual in Lucknow alongside fifteen other women. Following the revelations made by multiple victims, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) uncovered a large-scale Islamic conversion network operated by Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Peer. On 5 July 2025, the ATS arrested him along with his wife, booking a total of ten individuals in connection with the racket. Investigations confirmed that the group had received foreign funding amounting to Rs 100 crore, intended for orchestrating the illegal religious conversion of Hindus and other non-Muslims across India. Authorities further noted that members of the accused’s family also participated in the scheme, with several of them having maintained Hindu identities on official documents for concealment. Chhangur Peer funded Muslim men to target and manipulate Hindu women, including underage girls, into conversion. These men often used fabricated Hindu identities and names to build trust with their victims. Once a woman was either deceived or coerced, Chhangur Peer personally conducted Islamic marriage ceremonies (Nikah) to formalise their forced conversion under religious cover. Evidence recovered from his residence included a book authored by him titled Shijra-e-Tayyaba, whose stated purpose was to promote Islam. The ATS disclosed that Jalaluddin had structured the racket as an organised syndicate, offering financial incentives based on the caste of the woman converted. A handwritten diary seized during the raid contained over 100 names of individuals identified as potential targets for future conversions. Among previously reported cases, one involved Chhangur Peer instructing a Muslim man named Meraj to impersonate a Hindu and entrap a Hindu woman named Aarti. After gaining her trust, the woman was forcibly converted, and her Nikah was performed under the supervision of Chhangur.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category: Crimes against women in relationships and other sexual crimes. The subcategory selected is: Man pretends to be Hindu. The tertiary category selected is: Name Changed. 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. Second subcategory under this category is: Forced conversion before marriage. The tertiary categories under this are: Forced to do Nikah and Forced to eat beef. In such cases, a non-Hindu man is in a relationship with a Hindu woman when the pressure to convert her religion begins to manifest. In such cases, typically, two patterns emerge. First, when the relationship is consensual, and the religious identity of the perpetrator is known to the Hindu woman in the relationship, however, at some point during the relationship, the non-Hindu man starts to force the victim to convert her religion and give up her Hindu religious identity. The second is when the woman gets into a marriage with the man pretending to share her faith. Later, when the truth is revealed, the man starts pressuring the woman to convert her religion and give up her religious identity. In both the situations, the methods used to force the victim to convert her religion often revolve around force-feeding beef, forcing her to wear hijab, forcing her to read the Kalma or even pressurizing the victim to do ‘Nikah’, which is marriage under Islamic law, with a prerequisite being conversion to Islam. Cases where a Hindu woman consensually converts to Islam in a relationship will be left out of the hate crime database, even though it could be argued in several cases that the conversion was a result of religious brainwashing. The third subcategory under this category is: Assault or threat upon refusal to convert. When Hindu women are in a relationship with non-Hindu men, there are cases where the woman faces threats or assault after she refuses to convert and change her religious identity owing to pressure/force by the non-Hindu man. Such relationships may be consensual with the religious identity of the non-Hindu man known to the victim. Somewhere along the relationship, the non-Hindu man starts pressurizing the Hindu woman to convert to Islam and upon her refusal, assaults or threatens the victim. Such cases are driven by specific religious motivations and against the religious identity of the victim and are therefore qualified as hate crimes. Cases where the Hindu woman converts to Islam and does not file a complaint about the force or threat, are not considered a part of the hate tracker, even though, it may be argued that the woman was brainwashed or threatened to convert to Islam. The second primary category in this case is: Predatory proselytisation. The subcategory under this is: Attempting to convert/converting by denigrating Hinduism. In several cases, Hindus are converted or an attempt is made to convert Hindus by denigrating their faith, Hinduism. In such cases, the Hindus associate with the non-Hindu perpetrators often by choice and then, the attempt to convert them by insulting their faith, showing the faith down etc begins. An example of this would be a non-Hindu gathering where the Hindus are attending the gathering of their own free will. However, once they attend the gathering, there is an explicit attempt to convert them by abusing their faith and hailing the faith of the perpetrator. The denigration of the Hindu faith is often based on misrepresentation of the Hindu faith, its doctrine and scriptures and insult to espoused traditions if not blatant lies about Hindu beliefs and ways. Such conversions or attempts at conversions are driven by animosity towards the Hindu faith and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. The other sub-category relevant is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. The tertiary category under this is: Pattern of targeting Hindus. Religious brainwashing essentially means the often subtle and forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up their religious beliefs to accept contrasting regimented ideas. Religious grooming or brainwashing also involves propaganda and manipulation. It involves the systematic effort, driven by religious malice and indoctrination, to persuade “non-believers’ to accept allegiance, command, or doctrine to and of a contrasting faith. Cases of such grooming or brainwashing are far more nuanced than direct threats, coercion, inducement and violence. In such cases, it is often seen that there is repeated, subtle and continual manipulation of the victim to induce disaffection towards their own faith and acceptance of the contrasting faith of the perpetrator. While subtle indoctrination is widely acknowledged as predatory, an element which is often understated in such conversions or the attempts of such conversion is the role of loyalty and trust which might develop between the perpetrator and the victim. Fiduciary relationships are often abused to affect such religious conversion. For example, an educator transmitting religious doctrine of a competing faith to a Hindu student. The Hindu student is likely to accept what the teacher is transmitting owing to existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinate victims would also be included in this category. Since the underlying animosity towards the victim’s faith forms the basis of predatory proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. This case exhibits the defining characteristics of a religious hate crime, executed through calculated deceit, psychological subjugation, and sustained coercion. The man initiated contact with the Hindu woman by presenting himself as a Hindu, concealing his actual religious identity in order to gain unguarded access to her trust. This deliberate misrepresentation was not incidental to their association but was the principal mechanism of approach, chosen precisely to circumvent resistance based on religious or cultural distinction. Upon securing her emotional reliance, he began to isolate and manipulate her, systematically dismantling her attachment to Hindu beliefs. Central to this coercion was the imposition of marriage through Nikah, which she did not enter into freely or as an expression of autonomous belief. Instead, it was imposed as part of a larger project to sever her from her Hindu identity. The insistence on Nikah, conducted according to Islamic rites, further entrenched the religious domination exercised over her. Moreover, she was reportedly forced to consume beef. Forcing a Hindu to consume beef is not only a profound disrespect to their religious beliefs but also constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime. In Hinduism, cows are revered as sacred animals, symbolising life and sustenance, and the act of consuming beef is considered highly sacrilegious by many Hindus. Therefore, compelling a Hindu to eat beef goes beyond mere dietary imposition; it is an intentional violation of their religious principles and an assault on their cultural and spiritual identity. In the broader context of hate crimes, forcing someone to engage in behaviour that is expressly forbidden or offensive in their religion is a clear manifestation of religious intolerance. It demonstrates a blatant disregard for the victim's rights to practice their faith freely. Such impositions were not cultural exchanges but calculated affronts; acts intended to degrade, defile, and displace her native faith. These measures were reinforced through physical intimidation and psychological mistreatment, ensuring that resistance was met with fear and obedience was exacted through pressure. Further, the victim was continuously subjected to physical and sexual assault, recorded and blackmailed with those explicit images. This act goes beyond mere criminal behaviour; it is a calculated and malicious attack on her religious identity. By assuming a false Hindu identity, the Muslim perpetrator betrays the girl's trust, manipulating her into a situation where he can coerce her into abandoning her faith. The use of blackmail to force conversion is a clear demonstration of religious hate, as it targets the victim's religious beliefs and seeks to erase her identity. Moreover, the perpetrators mentally harassed the victim by continuously denigrating Hindu deities and speaking ill of Hinduism before her. This is a common tactic used in religious conversion efforts. By mocking sacred symbols, belittling beliefs, and portraying Hindu practices as backwards or impure, converters aim to create a sense of shame and alienation in the individual. This psychological manipulation is designed to erode the victim’s connection to their faith and community, making them more vulnerable to isolation and ultimately more susceptible to conversion. It's not just an attack on beliefs but a strategic dismantling of identity. The totality of this experience cannot be reduced to a matter of interpersonal control. The methods employed, false religious identity, enforcement of rituals from a different religion, consumption of meat strictly forbidden in her faith, and ultimately, the breakdown of her personal autonomy, reveal an organised pattern of targeting a Hindu woman for religious dismantlement. This process was not incidental to the relationship, but its principal purpose was the steady erasure of her beliefs and the installation of a different religious identity under duress. It was not an act of individual excess but part of a broader scheme that views Hindu identity not as a private conviction to be respected, but as an obstacle to be overcome. Crucially, Wasim did not operate in isolation but was linked to a broader network led by Peer Chhangur, a Muslim figure known for orchestrating organised religious conversions and exploiting vulnerable individuals, particularly Hindu women, through deception and psychological manipulation. His involvement connects this case to a systematic operation aimed at eroding the religious identity of Hindu victims through premeditated and coercive means. Investigations have confirmed that Chhangur oversaw a large-scale conversion racket, wherein monetary incentives were distributed to Muslim men to entrap Hindu women and convert them to Islam. These payments varied according to the caste of the targeted women, revealing a structured and discriminatory model of predatory proselytisation. The methodical nature of this operation, characterised by religious impersonation, psychological subversion, and caste-based targeting, reveals more than a private act of exploitation. It exposes a deliberate campaign directed at a specific religious community. The evidence demonstrates a consistent pattern of targeting Hindus for conversion under false pretences, driven by financial incentives and religious hostility. In view of this, the present case qualifies as a hate-motivated offence grounded in religious and communal animus. Accordingly, it is being documented in the hate crime database as part of a larger pattern of coercive conversions directed against the Hindu community. Disclaimer: Media reports state that the victim’s ordeal began when she met the accused in late 2019, though no exact date or month is provided. To document this case, we have used an indicative date, July 17, 2019, as a placeholder to represent the beginning of her suffering. While media coverage of the incident emerged in July 17 2025, the Hinduphobia Tracker records the incident based on when the victim’s ordeal began, 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 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
