A disturbing case of forced religious conversion has surfaced from Prayagraj, where 21-year-old Ritika Kushwaha has publicly appealed for protection from her own brother. She claims she has been coerced into visiting mazars, wearing taavij, and following Islamic rituals against her will.
Ritika escaped her home on July 29, 2025, and approached senior police officials along with her elder sister, pleading for justice. She alleged that her brother, Rahul Kushwaha, became radicalised after bringing home his jailed friend’s wife, Rubia, in May 2023.
Notably, before marrying Rubia Rahul converted to Islam and changed his name to Ejaz.
“My brother is forcing me to become a Muslim,” says Ritika Kushwaha from Prayagraj.
In 2023, Ritika’s brother, Rahul, married his friend’s wife, Rubika, and changed his name to Ejaz. Since then, he has been living as a Muslim and pressuring his family and siblings to convert to… pic.twitter.com/6MR9JeEWMj
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) August 17, 2025
Ritika, the youngest of five siblings, lives in Rajapur Uchvaghadi under Prayagraj’s Cantonment police station. After the death of their father, the family fell under Rahul’s care, but according to Ritika, he has since adopted Islamic practices under Rubia’s influence.
“The kitchen, prayer space, and entire house were turned into a mazar-like place,” Ritika said.
Ritika alleged that her younger sister Radhika, who resisted similar pressure, was branded mentally unstable and taken to clerics for “treatment.” After enduring harassment for a year, Radhika died on May 29, 2024, under suspicious circumstances.
“I fear the same will happen to me. I am Hindu, I don’t want to become Muslim. Please save me,” Ritika appealed in her complaint.
Notably, Rahul has also been pressuring Ritika to marry a Muslim man from Kolkata who is middle-aged.
Ritika’s elder sister, Kanchan, who is married in Jaipur, corroborated Ritika’s claims. She stated that Rahul had been involved in criminal activities and even turned their mother mentally unstable after their father’s death.
In 2021, Rahul was arrested in connection with a bombing incident in Daraganj and later came under the influence of his Muslim friend Ejaz, who allegedly helped him in jail. After Ejaz remained imprisoned, his wife Rubia began living with Rahul, and the two now behave as husband and wife.
Kunal fled to Delhi for a year after refusing conversion but returned after Radhika’s death.
Rajat confronted Rahul’s abuse and even fired at him in self-defence, but he is now in jail for that act.
Locals in the Uchvaghadi neighbourhood described Rahul as a criminal, though none agreed to speak on record. Police confirmed that Rahul is a history-sheeter in Daraganj with cases of theft, bombing, robbery, and Gangster Act charges.
On July 29, Ritika formally filed a complaint of harassment, abuse, and coercion. Preliminary inquiry confirmed signs of abuse, and police registered an FIR (No. 148/2025) on July 31.
थाना कैण्ट से संबंधित प्रकरण के संबंध में अपर पुलिस उपायुक्त नगर द्वारा दी गई बाइट:- pic.twitter.com/2780MiRLtI
— DCP CITY PRAYAGRAJ (@DCPCityPrj) August 16, 2025
“Strict legal action will be taken against the accused,” assured DCP (City) Abhishek Bharti, confirming that police teams are searching for Rahul, while Rubia has been detained.
