In a tragic incident from Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh, a 24-year-old Hindu woman, Divya Bharti, ended her life on December 20, reportedly due to relentless harassment and coercion by a man identified as Sonu alias Gulfam. The accused pressured her to convert to Islam and marry him, leading to her suicide.
An FIR (No. 1276/2024) was filed on December 23 at the Baradari police station by the victim’s father, Chhatrapal, a member of the Jatav community.
The case has been registered under Section 8 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, along with charges of abetment to suicide.
What says the FIR?
According to the FIR accessed by Organiser, Divya Bharti, a postgraduate from Government College Bisalpur in Pilibhit, had been undergoing training in sewing and embroidery since April 2024 under a skill development scheme. She lived in a rented room in Harungala, Bareilly, while pursuing the training. Her father had recently arranged her marriage to a man from Naugawan Santosh, Vilasanda in Pilibhit, with the Godh Bharai ceremony taking place on December 11, 2024.
The FIR alleges that Sonu alias Gulfam, a resident of Gyaspur Bisalpur, began contacting Divya through phone calls, pressuring her to break off her engagement and marry him instead. Despite her refusal and insistence on honouring her family’s arranged marriage, Gulfam continued to harass and threaten her.
On the morning of December 20, unable to bear the constant harassment, Divya reportedly hanged herself from a ceiling fan in her rented accommodation.
Family’s Statement
The victim’s father stated in the FIR, “My daughter was happy with the marriage we arranged for her. However, Gulfam, who initially introduced himself as Sonu, began harassing her and demanding that she marry him instead. His relentless behaviour pushed her to take this drastic step.”
The victim’s maternal uncle revealed that Gulfam had initially concealed his Muslim identity and pretended to be a Hindu named Sonu to gain Divya’s trust. “She had no interest in him and refused to convert to Islam. Despite this, he continued to harass her, forcing her into a situation where she saw no way out,” he added.
Police Action
Inspector Sunil Kumar, in charge of the Baradari police station, confirmed the incident. “Divya Bharti, originally from a village in Bisalpur, Pilibhit, died by suicide on December 20th. Based on the complaint from her family, a case has been registered against Gulfam, alias Sonu, for abetment to suicide and under the SC-ST Act. He has been arrested and is in custody as the investigation continues,” he stated.
Not the First Case
This is not the first case where a Hindu woman has taken her own life or been killed after being involved with a Muslim man. Similar incidents are being reported almost daily from different parts of India. Organiser has been regularly covering such cases, which often follow a pattern: a Muslim man hiding his true identity to deceive Hindu women and later forcing them to convert to Islam as a condition for marriage. This pattern is commonly known as “Love Jihad.”
Here are brief details of ten such cases, along with a report highlighting over 60 instances where Hindu women lost their lives after being involved with Muslim men.
#1: Shahbad Dairy Murder Case (May 28, 2023): A 16-year-old girl in Rohini’s Shahbad Dairy area was brutally stabbed over 20 times by Sahil Khan, her alleged lover, outside her home.
#2: Shraddha Walkar Case (May 18, 2022): Aaftab Poonawala strangled his live-in partner, Shraddha Walkar, dismembered her body into 35 pieces, and disposed of them in the Chhatarpur forest over 18 days.
#3: Delhi Minor’s Murder (August 24, 2022): A 16-year-old girl in Delhi was allegedly killed by her Muslim partner after she resisted his attempts to convert her to Islam.
#4: Rajasthan Honor Killing (June 2021): A Hindu woman was allegedly killed by her Muslim husband and in-laws for refusing to convert to Islam after marriage.
#5: Kerala Love Jihad Case (September 2020): A Hindu woman was found dead under mysterious circumstances after being in a relationship with a Muslim man who pressured her to convert.
#6: Madhya Pradesh Murder (April 2019): A Hindu woman was allegedly killed by her Muslim partner after she refused to convert to Islam and marry him.
#7: Uttar Pradesh Acid Attack (July 2018): A Hindu woman died after her Muslim partner allegedly threw acid on her for resisting conversion to Islam.
#8: West Bengal Suicide (March 2017): A Hindu woman committed suicide after being harassed by her Muslim partner to convert to Islam.
#9: Assam Forced Conversion (November 2016): A Hindu woman was allegedly killed by her Muslim husband for refusing to convert to Islam post-marriage.
#10: Tamil Nadu Murder (February 2015): A Hindu woman was found dead after her Muslim partner allegedly killed her for resisting conversion to Islam.
This report comprises details of over 60 cases where Hindu women have lost their lives after coming in contact with Muslim men.
