Married Muslim poses as Hindu to trap a Hindu woman. Convinces her to get into a live in relationship with him. Victim commits suicide due to ongoing abuse
Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
21 July, 2023
Case Summary
On July 22, 2023, in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, a 30-year-old woman named Sonam Sharma lost her life after 'falling' from the third floor of her residence. Sonam was living in a live-in relationship with a man named Mohseen, who had introduced himself as Rahul when they first met around two years ago. Mohseen had enticed Sonam into a relationship, despite being married with children and having a history of multiple relationships. Sonam's brother filed a complaint at the Hapur City police station, leading to an FIR under Sections 323 and 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Mohseen, who was subsequently arrested by the Hapur police. According to Sonam's sister, Mohseen, who was Muslim, frequently physically abused Sonam. She alleged that Mohseen pushed Sonam from the building, leading to her death. Mohseen's violent behaviour and demands for money were known to Sonam's family, who were in regular contact with her. The complaint revealed that Sonam had informed the flat owner's daughter, Priyanka, about a fight with Mohseen. Priyanka's father intervened in the situation, but Sonam ultimately jumped from the building due to the ongoing abuse by Mohseen. Sonam's family seeks justice and demands strict action against Mohseen for his role in Sonam's tragic demise.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
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. In this case, a non-Hindu man concealed his religious identity and pretended to be a Hindu to lure a Hindu woman. Since the religious motive of the crime is evident from the fact that the man pretended to be a Hindu to trap a Hindu woman, this case has been documented as a hate crime.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
1
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
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
