The term “Bhagwa Love Trap” has once again come under the spotlight following the arrest of a radicalised Islamist youth, Hasan Nabi, from Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district. While Nabi was initially apprehended under the POCSO Act on charges of sexually assaulting a minor inside a madrasa, a deeper investigation by the police unearthed a disturbing digital trail. Authorities discovered that Nabi was operating an organised hate network through WhatsApp and Instagram under the name “Haideri Dal 25.”
This group, run by Nabi and his cohorts, was not just about casual hate-sharing; it had a defined mission – to track interactions between Muslim women and Hindu men in the name of ‘protecting Islam’. Members of the group regularly engaged in moral policing, especially targeting burqa-clad Muslim women spotted in public with Hindu male acquaintances. Surveillance, intimidation, public shaming, and violence formed the core of their activities, which were enthusiastically documented and glorified within the group as “deen ka kaam” – religious duty.
According to police reports, group members would track and confront such couples, interrogating and shaming the women for associating with “kafirs” (non-believers), often threatening them with the concept of eternal damnation in Jahannum (hell). Meanwhile, the Hindu men, many of whom were later confirmed to be just friends or classmates, faced physical assaults, verbal abuse, and online character assassination. Images and videos of these confrontations were widely circulated by the group, effectively weaponising social media to spread fear and gain new followers.
The arrest report, made public by the Uttar Pradesh Police, sheds light on the disturbing extent of Hasan Nabi’s criminal activities.
As per the press release dated 24 June 2025, Nabi was arrested by a team under the supervision of the Inspector of Faridpur Police Station. The charges against him were multifold, spanning various IPC sections, including 299 and 353(2) for criminal intimidation and obstructing public servants. He was also booked under Section 5 of the Uttar Pradesh Public Safety Act, which allows preventive detention of individuals posing a threat to public order.
Rise in Digital Jihad
Nabi had a digital footprint dating back nearly a decade. Since 2015, he had been operating an Instagram handle by the name “Hasan_bhai,” where he frequently posted inflammatory content targeting the police and common people. His content not only incited hatred but also rallied like-minded individuals to join his crusade under the Haideri Dal banner.
He used to run this handle with a fake number he stole from a student at his Madrasa, where he received religious education at Gulshan-e-Mustafa Madrasa, where he sexually assaulted minor kids by doing unnatural sexual activities with them. Police also recovered video clips, over 30 clips from his phone all of the students and people he allegedly molested.
The FIR (No. 489/2025 and 491/2025), registered at Faridpur Police Station on June 24, 2025, detailed Nabi’s involvement in a web of activities that endangered communal harmony. He was presented before the court the same day, with officials stressing the seriousness of his offences, particularly in light of his efforts to radicalise young Muslims through social media.
What stands out in this case is how the fabricated concept of the “Bhagwa Love Trap” was used as a justification for harassment and violence. The term itself is a counter-narrative coined by certain radical Muslim groups to oppose the documented phenomenon of “Love Jihad” – wherein Muslim men lure non-Muslim women into relationships for religious conversion. However, unlike “Love Jihad,” which is supported by numerous police complaints, court cases, and legislative measures in several states, the “Bhagwa Love Trap” remains rooted in unsubstantiated conspiracy theories.
The Haideri Dal group, like many other vigilante outfits that have mushroomed across India, functioned under the belief that Hindu men are systematically trained by organisations like the RSS to entrap Muslim women. This ideology, although baseless, is dangerous, as it dehumanises interfaith interactions and creates a climate of fear and communal suspicion.
Nabi’s case is not isolated. Multiple instances have been reported across the country, where Muslim youth have targeted Hindu men under the pretext of saving “their” women from being lured into a fabricated religious trap. These incidents range from verbal harassment to brutal assaults, often recorded and circulated online with celebratory captions to incite further hatred.
The Haideri Dal 25 of Bareilly
Upon investigating the Instagram ecosystem linked to the recently arrested Bareilly-based accused, Organiser found a disturbing trend of coordinated hate content being shared under multiple handles, all operating under the banner of “Haideri Dal”. These handles, run under variations of the same name, have one common objective: targeting interfaith friendships, promoting this as a form of so-called “moral policing.”
A close examination of one such Instagram account believed to be operated by the accused, Hasan Nabi, revealed a series of disturbing video posts. Many of them appear to be celebratory clips of vigilante action on the streets, young men detaining or harassing Muslim women and Hindu men, followed by their own arrests, which they portray as acts of martyrdom or religious bravery.
In one such post, a video shows a young man being led away in handcuffs by police. The caption reads:
“Abhi hamari sirf pehchaan bani hai, naam se karenge ke poori duniya mein goonjega.” (“We’ve only established our identity for now, but soon our name will echo across the world.”)
Another post features a still of the accused with text overlayed saying: “Dargah-e-Alala Harat se full support hai, chahe jo bhi karlo.” (“We have full support from the shrine of Alala Harat, no matter what you do.”)
Even more concerning are the so-called “before-and-after” video compilations shared on these accounts. In one sequence, a burqa-clad Muslim woman is seen sitting with a Hindu man at a public place, laughing and talking. The following clip shows a violent mob surrounding the same man, who appears bloodied and terrified, being physically assaulted, while others record the confrontation on their phones.
These clips are not hidden or obscure; they are deliberately edited, captioned with provocative religious slogans, and posted as trophies. The content is aimed at further fuelling communal paranoia around what these groups are now widely promoting as “Bhagwa Love Trap.”
The Rise of Moral Policing
In May 2023, Alia (name changed), a young woman from Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, was preparing for a one-month trip to Mumbai. Since her birthday on 16 May would fall during her travel, two friends, Satyam, a school lab teacher, and Atul, a fellow student, suggested an early celebration on 16 April. The three had met earlier at an examination centre and remained in touch.
The trio met at a local coffee shop, where Alia arrived wearing her usual attire, a loose burqa and a headscarf covering her hair and neck. However, their peaceful gathering was disrupted by four men: Azhar, Shadab, Mohsin, and Irfan, Alia’s neighbours. These men forcibly interrupted the meeting, demanding the three come outside “for a talk.”
Once outside, the situation escalated. The men manhandled Satyam and Atul and pushed Alia to the ground. Accusing her of betraying Islam by spending time with Hindu men, they shouted insults and religiously charged slurs. A video of the incident circulated online, showing the attackers questioning Alia’s faith, asking whether she performed namaz and if there were not enough Muslim men to associate with.
Alia later told the police that the men snatched her purse and phone and threatened to report her to her parents. She remained unfazed, as her parents were already aware of her friends. That evening, she filed an FIR against the four men for physical assault, harassment, and intimidation, referring to her friends respectfully as “Satyam Sir” and “Atul Bhaiya.”
More Cases Across India
Alia’s story is not an isolated incident. Similar patterns of moral policing, harassment, and public shaming of Muslim women for associating with Hindu men have surfaced across the country:
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Maharashtra): In April 2023, a group of vigilantes harassed a burqa-clad woman in a market, touching her inappropriately and snatching her phone. They questioned her for being with a Hindu man. Police took suo motu action following a social media outcry.
Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh): In May 2023, a man named Shivansh was stopped by five men while travelling with a burqa-clad woman named Rukhsana. Although he explained she was a classmate and they were buying items for a college farewell, the group followed him to his colony the next day. Fearing for his safety, Shivansh lodged a police complaint. He later had to relocate due to ongoing threats.
Patna (Bihar): In another disturbing case, a Hindu man, Sagar Kumar Mishra, was beaten by a mob for riding with a burqa-clad woman. Despite her insistence that they were just classmates, the crowd accused him of being part of a “Bhagwa love trap.”
Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh): Vigilantes beat a Hindu man who had offered a burqa-clad woman a lift to the market. The woman explained he was waiting to take her back to her village. In a video, the attackers questioned her about her religious loyalty and even implied she was destined for hell.
Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh): On 24 May 2023, police arrested four men—Altamas, Fardeen, Anas, and Aamir—for harassing a man riding with two burqa-clad women. The accused confessed to being part of a group monitoring and confronting Muslim women seen with Hindu men.
Such incidents are often filmed by the perpetrators and circulated online with hashtags like #BhagwaLoveTrap. The aggressive interference continues even when the women involved clearly state the platonic or academic nature of the relationship.
The ‘Bhagwa Love Trap’ Conspiracy
These violent episodes are driven by a conspiracy theory rapidly gaining ground among certain Muslim circles. According to this theory, Hindu men, trained by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), lure Muslim women into romantic relationships to convert them to Hinduism. The term “Bhagwa Love Trap” uses “bhagwa,” meaning saffron, to reference Hindu identity.
Prominent voices behind this theory include Khalil-ur-Rahman Sajjad Nomani, a senior cleric and spokesperson for the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. He has made several baseless and inflammatory claims:
1) Over 8 lakh Muslim women have left Islam after marrying Hindu men.
2) RSS operates covert training programs to teach Hindu men Urdu and Islamic etiquette.
3) Successful men receive rewards: a cheque, a house, and a job.
4) Billions of dollars are funnelled into this “project” to destroy Islam.
Nomani advocates homeschooling for Muslim girls and frequently warns them of spiritual damnation (Jahannum) if they leave Islam for love.
Other clerics, social media influencers, and anonymous accounts have echoed similar sentiments, often mixing misinformation with dramatic videos, exaggerated claims, and religious scare tactics. Back in 2023, a rally in Nagpur by the ‘Ehsaas Foundation’ featured banners declaring that Muslim daughters must be “saved” from becoming apostates.
In 2023, a fake RSS letter promising a 15-day course to trap Muslim women went viral on social media under hashtags like #BhagwaLoveTrap, promoted by influencers, clerics, and even a Qatar-based journalist allegedly associated with Al Jazeera.
Social media posts often include vulgar and derogatory remarks about Muslim women seen with non-Muslim men, calling them traitors or prostitutes, while men are branded as “kaafirs.”
Multiple YouTube and Instagram channels promote this theory, showing vigilante attacks and sermons urging Muslim parents to end their daughters’ higher education to “protect” them from Hindu men.
Such groups often operate parallel justice systems, deciding for themselves who is guilty of what crime, and acting as judge, jury, and executioner.
A counter-narrative to ‘Love Jihad’?
The spread of the Bhagwa Love Trap narrative appears to be a reactionary mirror to the ‘Love Jihad’ debate. The term ‘Love Jihad’, first popularised in Kerala by Christian groups, refers to alleged cases of Muslim men trapping Hindu (and sometimes Christian, Sikh, or Jain) women into relationships for conversion through deceit or coercion.
Despite being dismissed by many media outlets and activist groups as Islamophobic propaganda, several reported cases have involved Hindu women accusing Muslim men of using false identities and forceful religious conversion tactics. Courts have found some of these accused guilty. Examples of such cases have been covered by national and regional media and are available in public records in hundreds now.
Moreover, concerns about such conversion-based relationships are not limited to Hindu groups. Christian, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh, and tribal communities have also raised alarms. Across the border in countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, the abduction and forced conversion of Hindu and Christian girls remains a persistent issue.
What is really at Stake?
The “Bhagwa Love Trap” theory lacks credible evidence. No significant number of police complaints or court cases have surfaced where Muslim women have accused Hindu men of trapping or converting them. Instead, the only clear pattern involves public harassment and violence committed by vigilantes, many recorded on video, against consenting adults based solely on their perceived interfaith interaction.
So, what is really happening?
Is it a desperate counter-narrative to undermine genuine concerns regarding coerced religious conversions in the name of ‘Love Jihad’?
As India navigates the fine line between communal harmony and religious freedom, these incidents raise serious questions about the freedom, safety, and dignity of women, especially when their autonomy is constantly being challenged by patriarchal vigilantism.
The arrest of Hasan Nabi is a crucial breakthrough, but it also highlights the growing threat posed by radical online communities that exploit religious sentiments to justify vigilantism. With increasing access to digital platforms, the ability of such groups to influence young minds is alarming. The use of popular social media apps like Instagram and WhatsApp as tools for moral policing is a trend that demands urgent attention from authorities and civil society alike.
Ultimately, what Nabi and his ilk seek is not protection of faith but control over personal freedoms, especially those of women. By masquerading as vigilantism as religious duty, they legitimise oppression and violence in the name of preserving identity. It is imperative that society sees through this façade and recognises these acts for what they are: calculated attempts to hijack religious sentiment for bigoted and authoritarian ends.
The digital age has enabled faster communication, but it has also facilitated the rapid spread of misinformation and hate. As cases like Hasan Nabi’s emerge, the call for digital accountability becomes louder. Law enforcement, tech companies, and community leaders must work together to ensure that platforms are not misused to fan the flames of communalism.
The arrest of Hasan Nabi should be viewed not just as a police success but as an opportunity for reflection on how religious orthodoxy, unchecked hate, and digital radicalisation threaten the secular fabric of our nation. The fight against the myth of the “Bhagwa Love Trap” is, at its core, a fight for truth, freedom, and coexistence.
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