Muslim mob attacks Hindu youth and his father-in-law in Bellur, loots houses over minor street scuffle, situation escalates to communal tension

Case ID : 0b66c50 | Location : Belluru, Karnataka, India | Date of Incident : Thu, 23 May, 2024

Case ID : 0b66c50

Belluru, Karnataka, India

23 May, 2024

Muslim mob attacks Hindu youth and his father-in-law in Bellur, loots houses over minor street scuffle, situation escalates to communal tension

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

In Bellur town, Karnataka, a Muslim mob attacked a 29-year-old Hindu youth named Abhilash and ransacked several houses on May 27, following an altercation over reckless driving two days earlier. Abhilash, who objected to a group of Muslim youths driving dangerously, was attacked along with his father-in-law, Nagesh, on May 24. On May 27, the same group assaulted Abhilash again, causing serious injuries, and looted Nagesh's house. The ongoing tensions between the two communities prompted police to increase security in Bellur. A complaint was filed, and local residents, including women, protested outside the Bellur police station demanding strict action against the attackers.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. In this case, the immediate trigger of the confrontation was non-religious in nature. The Hindu man simply objected to the Muslim man driving rashly. However, after the initial non-religious trigger. the confrontation turned communal. The Muslim man and his co-religionists attacked the Hindu man and his father-in-law. They attacked his home and other Hindu homes as well. The Hindus then protested, demanding strict action against the perpetrators. It is evident that while the trigger which brought the Hindu man and the Muslim man face to face was non-religious in nature, however, the attacks post the initial confrontation turned communal in nature with Hindus protesting for action and the Muslims attacking Hindu homes. Therefore, this case is being categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime.