Minor Hindu girl forced to do Nikah by Muslim man posing as Hindu; forced to eat meat and read Islamic scriptures
Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, India 
2 July, 2022
Case Summary
In Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, a minor Hindu girl was befriended by a Muslim man named Arbaaz, who pretended to be a Hindu man named Shivam. The accused wore a Kalava and a Tilak, both Hindu symbols, to fake his identity. The victim was drugged, and obscene photographs and videos were taken of her, which were then used to blackmail her into converting to Islam. She was also force-fed meat and made to read Islamic scriptures. The accused’s intention was to convert her to Islam and marry her in a Nikah ceremony. According to media reports, the victim's ordeal began in July 2022. The victim’s female friend, on the order of the accused, took her to a hookah bar near the Nai Sarai police outpost. There, she met the Muslim accused, Arbaaz, who introduced himself as Shivam, also known as Bobby. The hookah bar was run by the accused, Arbaaz. The accused had worn a sacred thread (Kalava) on his wrist and a tilak on his forehead to present himself as a Hindu. Gradually, he developed a friendship with her, drugged her, and took obscene photos and videos. The accused then blackmailed the victim with these videos and sexually exploited her. Following this, on 14th September 2022, he took her to Delhi, where he forced her to visit multiple hotels and shrines in Nizamuddin. There, he intoxicated her, raped her several times, and continued to record her obscene videos. He then began pressuring her to convert to Islam and imposed pressure for marriage (Nikah) through Muslim Peers. The victim also stated that when she refused to convert, he physically assaulted her. The accused made her eat meat, read Muslim scriptures, and took her to dargahs. The victim further said that the accused was involved in supplying marijuana and other narcotics. The FIR registered on the complaint of the victim detailed that several young Muslim men, including Faiz Khan, Riyan Pathan, and Adnan, regularly visited the hookah bar. Their aim was to intoxicate Hindu girls with hookah, trap them, and then make videos while they were under the influence. They subsequently blackmailed the girls and subjected them to physical and mental abuse, with the purpose of religious conversion under the guise of a romantic relationship. Following this, on 6th July 2025, the accused followed the victim; when she objected, he assaulted her and threatened her, saying, “If you are not mine, then you will be no one’s.” The victim immediately went to the police station and filed a complaint. The police initially arrested the accused, but he was later released. The police launched an investigation by registering an FIR under serious sections. It emerged that several criminal cases, including under the Gangster Act, were already registered against Arbaaz. Arbaaz was arrested on August 6, 2025. Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Durga Vahini protested against this incident, demanding strict action in such cases. The organisations stated that this was not an isolated incident, but a well-organised conspiracy targeting many Hindu girls. Even the family of the Hindu victim demanded justice and the arrest of the accused.
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. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Man pretends to be Hindu. The tertiary category selected is- 'Name Changed', 'Wears symbols of Hinduism', and 'Pattern of targeting Hindu women'. 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 other subcategory selected is- Brainwashed and/or Groomed. Within this, the tertiary category selected is- 'Rape and Sexual assault/harassment', 'Conversion of minor', and 'Pattern of targeting Hindu minors'. In our database, we have not added incidents where women have converted to another religion of their free will and no allegations of forced/involuntary conversion have been made. However, there are certain cases of conversion where the consent itself is a result of the brainwashing or grooming of a minor by the non-Hindu perpetrator trying to victimise a woman for her Hindu religious identity. The phenomenon of grooming points to non-Hindu perpetrators identifying their Hindu victims’ vulnerabilities and exploiting them over months and sometimes years, to extract the supposed ‘consent’ in order to convert their religion. In most cases of grooming, the victims are minors or the grooming started when the victim was a minor. In other cases of grooming, the non-Hindu perpetrator brainwashes and grooms a minor victim to extract their trust and then proceeds to rape them repeatedly with the intent of converting them to their faith. It is pertinent to understand here that when the victim is a minor, the ‘consent’ to convert or enter into a romantic relationship with an adult itself is redundant – addressed by POCSO. While every case of conversion of a minor and incidents of establishing a physical relationship with a minor by an adult is a crime, for the purpose of this database, a case would be considered a hate crime only if there is a distinct religious angle to the grooming. For example, in the UK, if a Hindu minor is targeted by Pakistani grooming gangs, it would be considered a hate crime because the victims are specifically targeted owing to their non-Muslim religious identity with the perpetrators being Muslim. In other cases, if a Hindu minor is brainwashed into entering a physical relationship with the non-Hindu adult perpetrator and the family alleges grooming/brainwashing of the minor to convert her religion, it would form a part of this database. If the victim is a Hindu adult, the case would form a part of this database only if the victim herself says that she was brainwashed/groomed to convert her religion. However, if the victim is deceased (murdered or otherwise), the case would form a part of this database if her family/friends provided testimony that the victim was brainwashed/groomed to convert her religion. Since these crimes have a distinct religious angle where the victim is being targeted owing to her Hindu religious identity, these cases are considered a hate crime. The other subcategory selected is- Forced conversion before marriage. Within this, the tertiary category selected is- 'Forced to do Nikah' and 'Forced to go to mosque'. 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 other subcategory selected is- Blackmailed to convert. When Hindu women are in a relationship with non-Hindu men, there are cases where the woman is blackmailed to convert her religion, owing to her religious identity of being a Hindu. Such relationships may be consensual with the religious identity of the non-Hindu man known to the victim, however, there could be cases where the relationship is not consensual and the non-Hindu man starts blackmailing a Hindu woman to convert her religion. In these cases, it is often seen that the Hindu woman is blackmailed with intimate photos and/or videos, threats of harm to her or her family, threats of violence etc. Such cases are driven by specific religious motivations and against the religious identity of the victim and are therefore qualified as hate crimes. The other subcategory selected 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 other category selected here is- Predatory Proselytisation. Under this the first subcategory selected is- Harassment, threats, coercion for conversion. Harassment covers a wide range of behaviours of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour that demeans, humiliates, and intimidates a person, including threats and coercion. Harassment and threats, in this case, find their root on discriminatory grounds which has the effect of nullifying a person’s rights or infringing upon his freedom to exercise his right specifically owing to the victim’s religious identity. Verbal and physical threats and psychological or physical harassment are often used against Hindu victims because they choose to practice their professed religion. Religious harassment also includes forced and involuntary conversions by harassment, threats or coercion. Coercion includes intimidatory tactics like force-feeding a Hindu victim beef to convert to another religion, forceful circumcision etc. In several cases documented, non-Hindu perpetrators or those who harbour specific animosity towards Hinduism, harass victims simply based on their religious identity. Such cases often also include harassment to ensure the Hindu victim abandons his/her professed religion and adopts the religion of the perpetrator. Such cases where Hindu victims are harassed to convert to the perpetrator’s religion are rooted in animosity towards the victim’s religious identity and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. The other subcategory selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. Under this, the tertiary categories selected are- Conversion of minor and Rape and sexual assault/harassment. 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 is a clear example of a hate crime against Hindus and meets several criteria for a religiously motivated offence. It is important to note that the victim was a minor, meaning the element of consent and genuine change of conscience was absent from the outset. Minors, due to their age and lack of maturity, are especially vulnerable to manipulation and coercion, and often do not fully grasp the implications of converting to another religion or forming relationships/friendships with adults. The Muslim perpetrator deliberately targeted and exploited the victim’s vulnerability. This use of coercion and manipulation to achieve religious conversion is a blatant act of religious hatred and stands as a striking example of a religiously motivated crime. From the beginning, the accused intentionally befriended the minor Hindu girl by posing as a Hindu and adopting a false Hindu name. This calculated deceit exploited the victim’s trust and cultural background, laying the groundwork for further abuse that targeted her specifically because of her religious identity. Such actions are not merely acts of deception, but calculated efforts to target a Hindu victim under false pretences, making clear the religious motivations behind the crime. The accused further deepened his deception by wearing a kalava and a tilak, both sacred Hindu symbols, solely to mislead the victim. This was not just dishonest but constituted a profound act of disrespect and mockery towards Hindu religious traditions and sentiments, using revered symbols as props in a predatory proselytisation scheme. After gaining her trust, the Muslim perpetrator drugged the girl and took obscene photographs and videos. He then used these to blackmail her and proceeded to sexually exploit her. The exploitation was not a random act of sexual violence; rather, she was profiled and targeted because of her Hindu identity. This demonstrates the use of sexual violence against Hindu victims precisely because of their community background and religion, making this a religiously motivated crime. The abuse escalated when the accused coerced the girl to convert to Islam, subjecting her to repeated pressure. He went further, forcing her to eat meat and read Islamic scriptures. These acts directly violated her personal beliefs and religious practices. These actions were clear attempts to erase her Hindu identity and autonomy, constituting a sustained assault on her faith and dignity. Such conduct arises from deep-rooted religious animosity towards the Hindu victim and her beliefs, making it an unmistakable case of a religiously motivated crime. When the girl refused to convert, the accused responded with threats and physical violence. She was also subjected to blackmail with her obscene videos and photographs. The threats, blackmail, and brutality were intended to break her spirit and force her to abandon her religion. Acts of this nature are specifically designed to subjugate Hindu victims to the demands of their Muslim abusers, making the religious motive behind the crime even more apparent. Crucially, the accused was not acting alone. He was part of a Muslim gang involved in trapping, exploiting, and coercing Hindu girls into conversion to Islam. This network systematically targeted vulnerable Hindu girls on religious grounds, using drugs and blackmail to control them and orchestrating their conversion as part of a broader campaign of predatory religious animosity. This demonstrates that this was not an isolated or spontaneous occurrence, but rather a premeditated and well-coordinated campaign targeting Hindu girls in particular and forcing them to convert to Islam, making it a hate crime rooted in religious hostility. Every aspect of this case—from the adoption of a false religious identity and the desecration of Hindu symbols, to sexual exploitation, forced conversion, and participation in an organised network—reflects deep-seated hostility toward Hindus. The sustained targeting, manipulation, and abuse were not random acts of violence but were driven by entrenched religious hatred. This case is a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime; therefore, it is being added to the hate crime database. Disclaimer: Media reports do not specify the exact date when the victim's ordeal began. They only state that her ordeal began in July 2022. The media reported the case on 3rd August 2025. Therefore, for documentation, we are using 3rd July 2022 as the indicative date. Hinduphobia Tracker records the date when the victim's ordeal begins, rather than when it gets reported by 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 1
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
both
Sources 
