A distressing case has emerged from Kupwad in Maharashtra’s Sangli district, where a 27-year-old, four-month pregnant Hindu woman has died by suicide. Authorities are investigating allegations that she was subjected to relentless mental and physical harassment by her husband and in-laws, who were pressuring her to convert to Christianity.
The woman, identified as Rutuja Rajge, reportedly took her own life on 6 June 2025. According to a police complaint filed by her father, the groom’s family had presented themselves as Hindus from the Dhangar caste before the wedding. However, Rutuja allegedly discovered they were practicing Christians who had abandoned Hindu customs.
The complaint details a campaign of sustained coercion that began soon after the marriage, involving her husband, in-laws, and a local pastor. Rutuja reportedly told her father she was scolded for following Hindu traditions and was forced to attend prayer services with the aim of compelling her to formally convert.
Following her death, a case was registered at the Kupwad MIDC Police Station. The incident has sparked public outcry, with activists holding a protest in Sangli to demand justice for Rutuja and the enforcement of state-level anti-conversion laws.
This case is highlighted as one example of a wider, often underreported issue involving alleged “crypto-converts.” Similar incidents have been recently reported from other states:
- In Madhya Pradesh, a bride named Sangeeta reportedly called off her wedding after learning that her soon-to-be in-laws were practicing Christians. Deeply rooted in her Hindu beliefs, Sangeeta said she would not have agreed to the marriage had she known about their religious background earlier. Following the incident, the groom’s family is said to have undergone a re-conversion to Hinduism in an effort to resolve the situation and address the bride’s concerns.
- In Uttarakhand, a Sikh man Jaideep Singh, filed a case against his Christian in-laws for similar conversion pressure.
- In Chhattisgarh, a 30-year-old tailor Linesh Sahu, took his own life in December 2024, leaving a WhatsApp status attributing his suicide to conversion pressure from his Christian in-laws and his wife.
Rutuja married Sukumar Rajge in 2021. Last week, she committed suicide. Was four months into her pregnancy
At the time of wedding, Rajge family had identified themselves as Hindus from Dhangar caste. But Rutuja soon found they were crypto-converts who had long given up Hindu… pic.twitter.com/jRZGIrBF0G
— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) June 18, 2025
(With inputs from Deccan Herald)
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