3 Muslim youths arrested for vulgar comments on Hindu deities
Bharuch, Gujarat, India 
2 August, 2024
Case Summary
In Bharuch, the police arrested three Muslim men for making vulgar comments about Hindu deities on a social media platform. They were identified as Mohammad Waheed Sajid Hussain, Mohammad Hasan Sulehbaba Sheikh, and Mirza Mohammad Sani Mohammad Yusuf Sheikh. They used offensive language in their online conversations, which came to light when screenshots of their chat went viral. The incident sparked outrage, and a Hindu man reported the matter to the Bharuch Cyber Crime Police Station. Following the complaint, the police launched an investigation and used technical surveillance to gather information about the three suspects. Once their identities were confirmed, the police swiftly arrested all three individuals. Further legal actions were taken against the accused in response to their derogatory remarks, which had deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The case highlighted the sensitivity of such issues and the importance of maintaining communal harmony.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the hate tracker under the prime category- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category chosen is- anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith- Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. This incident involving the three Muslim men making vulgar comments about Hindu deities clearly qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime. Their use of offensive language and derogatory remarks on a social media platform demonstrates a deliberate attempt to insult and demean the Hindu faith. This behaviour not only disrespects Hindu deities but also seeks to provoke and incite animosity within the broader Hindu community, reflecting an underlying contempt for Hindu beliefs and values. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
