Minor Hindu girl lured into offering namaz and observing roza by her Muslim female neighbour who claimed conversion to Islam would make her rich
Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India 
28 February, 2025
Case Summary
In Jhansi, a 16-year-old Hindu girl was lured by her Muslim female neighbour, Shahnaz alias Sana, into offering namaz and observing roza (fasting) during Ramadan. Shahnaz falsely claimed that performing these religious practices would make the Hindu girl rich. This was an attempt to convert the minor girl to Islam. According to media reports, the Hindu and Muslim families lived next to each other, and their daughters were close friends. Both families frequently visited each other’s homes. The Muslim girl attempted to influence the Hindu girl to offer namaz and observe roza during Ramadan, telling her, “This will make you rich soon.” The minor girl, influenced by Shahnaz alias Sana, began fasting and offering namaz. When the Hindu girl’s family discovered this, they questioned her. She admitted that she was following Shahnaz’s instructions, believing that it would make her wealthy. Shocked by this revelation, the girl’s father went to confront Shahnaz at her home. However, Shahnaz immediately locked herself in a room and attempted to commit suicide. The police were informed, but by the time they arrived at the scene, Shahnaz had fled. Hindu organisations also arrived at the location, accusing Shahnaz of attempting to convert the minor girl. The girl’s father filed a complaint with the police, stating that Shahnaz had lured his daughter into offering namaz and observing roza by falsely promising wealth and prosperity. The minor girl fell into her trap and read namaz and observed roza for 3-4 days. The police launched an investigation, and a case was registered against Shahnaz alias Sana under various sections for coercing the minor girl into religious practices and attempting to influence her to convert to Islam.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category- Predatory Proselytisation. Under this, the first sub-category selected is- Conversion/ attempts to convert by inducement. Predatory Proselytisation is not just limited to threat, harassment, force and violence, but it also has contours of stealth. In several cases, the Hindu victim is exploited to convert, with non-Hindus taking advantage of their poverty. In such cases, the Hindu victim who is suffering financially is offered monetary benefits, including lucrative offers for jobs, health treatment, education, etc, to induce the victim into changing his/her religion. In such cases, the religious identity of the victim and the aim to disenfranchise him from his faith form the heart of the crime. Also, taking advantage of and exploiting an individual’s economic vulnerabilities is widely acknowledged as exploitation, forms of which are often penalised by law. Such cases therefore are considered religiously motivated hate crimes since the victim’s religious identity forms the very heart of the crime itself. The second sub-category relevant here is- Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination. Within this, the tertiary categories selected is- Conversion of minor and family claims grooming. 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 warrants inclusion in the Hinduphobia tracker as it exemplifies a clear case of coercive religious influence aimed at converting a minor Hindu girl. The Muslim neighbour, Shahnaz alias Sana, attempted to manipulate the young girl by luring her into offering namaz and observing roza, falsely promising that these Islamic practices would bring her wealth. This form of inducement exploits the aspirations and trust of a minor, making it a clear instance of conversion through deceptive means. The neighbour leveraged a close friendship and familial proximity to subtly indoctrinate the girl, gradually influencing her religious beliefs without her informed consent. Such tactics reflect a pattern of proselytisation that operates through grooming and manipulation, targeting individuals in a vulnerable state, especially minors who may not fully comprehend the implications of their action. Given that the victim is a minor and the family explicitly stated that she was groomed into religious practices with the intent of conversion, this case aligns with patterns of predatory proselytisation. When the victim is a minor, it indicates a lack of consent and a genuine change of conscience. It is a well-established fact that children are more susceptible to manipulation since they are still developing emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Their brains are not fully mature, making them more vulnerable to influence and less capable of critically evaluating information. Moreover, subtle manipulation tactics can be difficult to detect, especially when employed by trusted authority figures in positions of influence. This makes it challenging for parents to identify and address instances of religious manipulation. Consequently, cases involving religious manipulation of minors not only represent an infringement on an individual's religious freedom but also demonstrate a calculated strategy of targeting those who are less able to resist or understand the long-term implications of conversion, making it a significant case of religiously motivated hate crime. For this reason, this case has been added to the tracker.
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
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
female
Sources 
