Interfaith: Hindu Woman Killed By Boyfriend For Refusing Physical Relationship, Administration Bulldozes The Accused’s House

In the latest case of murder of a Hindu woman by her boyfriend from the Muslim community, Kiran Devi was smashed to death by Sikander Ahmed in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district this week.

While Kiran was raped and assaulted by Ahmed on 22 June, she died four days later at a hospital in Lucknow of the injuries.

Police told the media that Ahmed has confessed to the crime and said that he killed Kiran as she refused to have sex with him. They had known each other for three years, police said.

After Kiran’s death, angry residents and Hindu activists staged a protest, following which the police bulldozed the house of Ahmed in Fatehpur.

Police said that Ahmed runs a tour and travel business with the name ‘Ghosie Travellers’. Due to the nature of his work, Ahmed would travel to Gujarat, where Kiran lived in the city of Surat.

On 22 June, Kiran visited Fatehpur to attend a wedding. In the night around 9pm, she left the venue, Asha guest house, to meet Ahmed. She remained missing the entire night.

The next morning, her body was discovered 500 metres from the venue in a battered state. She was hospitalised in Lucknow. Meanwhile, a first information report (FIR) was filed at Bindki police station on 23 June (217/2023) on the statement of Kiran’s father Rakesh.

The FIR, accessed by Swarajya, does not mention the name of Ahmed. The police booked an unidentified person for kidnapping (IPC 366) and attempt to murder (IPC 307). After she died on 26 June, the police have added murder (IPC 302) in the case. Ahmed has been arrested by the police.

After she died, activists from various Hindu organisations staged a protest outside the hospital. The administration resorted to bulldozing of the house of Ahmed, pictures of which were widely shared on social media.

Notably, the Uttar Pradesh government has been following the practice of bulldozing the houses of accused in heinous crimes since at least 2020. Among others, houses of gangsters such as Vikas Dubey and Mukhtar Ansari have been demolished.

After Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh government too has been following what has come to termed as “bulldozer trial”.

Swarajya has previously reported several cases of the nature of Kiran’s murder, where Hindu women have been killed by their Muslim partners or stalkers — a pattern that has come to be widely identified as “love jihad”.

The term includes cases where men hide their religious identity, pretend to be Hindus and trap Hindu women for their conversion. The term is often criticised by Islamist, communist and liberal groups as a conspiracy theory by Hindutva activists to discredit interfaith relationships and malign the Muslim community. 

Swarajya has reported a large number of cases of a similar nature. Here is a brief list:

• Ground Report: Hill Town In Himachal Worried About ‘Growing Radicalisation’ After Chilling Murder Of Hindu Girl