Muslim cloth vendor traps Hindu women using fake Hindu identity, WhatsApp chats expose pattern
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India 
21 February, 2025
Case Summary
A case of grooming under false identity has emerged in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Bajrang Dal workers apprehended a suspicious youth in Panchmurti Nagar, who was attempting to befriend women and girls by introducing himself under a Hindu name. Following the incident, panic spread in the area, and the police were informed. According to locals, the youth, a resident of Sadar Bazaar, would frequent Hindu neighbourhoods in the afternoon under the guise of selling clothes, specifically when the men were away. He would lure women and girls by offering clothes at lower prices and gradually attempted to establish close relations with them. Some residents grew suspicious of his frequent visits to a particular woman’s house and reported their concerns to Bajrang Dal. The organisation’s members remained vigilant, and when the youth arrived in Panchmurti Nagar, he was caught red-handed. At first, he attempted to conceal his identity, but upon checking his mobile phone, shocking evidence was uncovered. WhatsApp messages revealed that he had contacted multiple Hindu women using a fake Hindu alias. Further investigation of his phone showed records of conversations with several Hindu girls, raising further concerns. The police are now investigating whether he has any prior criminal record or links to any organised group. Bajrang Dal workers also thrashed the youth before handing him over to the authorities. Indore Police took him into custody for interrogation and assured that strict legal action would be taken against him if he was found guilty.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Predatory Proselytisation. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination and the tertiary category chosen 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. The accused, a Muslim youth, deliberately infiltrated a Hindu settlement by assuming a Hindu alias to deceive women and gain their trust. His strategy of selling clothes at lower prices during the time when men were away from home indicates a calculated effort to isolate and manipulate vulnerable Hindu women. The discovery of WhatsApp messages where he communicated with multiple Hindu women using a false Hindu identity further strengthens the case of religious grooming and deception. Additionally, his repeated visits to specific homes and attempts to establish close relations suggest a pattern of targeting Hindu women, potentially as part of a larger network engaged in religious manipulation. The fact that he concealed his true religious identity and used a Hindu disguise aligns with a broader tactic of predatory proselytisation, making this case a textbook example of systematic targeting under the guise of commerce and personal relationships. These elements collectively affirm that the case belongs in the Hinduphobia tracker under the selected categories.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
