Hindu boy killed in Maharashtra after verbal dispute; Muslim accused arrested
Pune, Maharashtra, India 
2 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Nehru Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra, a 16-year-old Hindu boy named Ganesh Kurhade was killed by a 19-year-old Muslim man named Soheb Habib Sheikh following a minor verbal argument. According to reports, Ganesh’s 14-year-old brother, Kartik, had a minor argument with Soheb Habib Sheikh, a Muslim man, while playing the card game ‘Vyapar’ on the terrace of their neighbour Chaitanya Yadav's house. Kartik informed Ganesh about the incident, after which Ganesh confronted Soheb verbally. In response, Soheb began to assault Ganesh brutally. Ganesh suffered severe injuries and succumbed to death. He was kicked and beaten by the accused, resulting in his death. Following this tragic event, the deceased’s father, Naganath Arjun Kurhade, filed a complaint against Soheb at the police station. The police registered a case against the accused under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The accused, Soheb, was subsequently arrested for the brutal murder of Ganesh.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In this case, the immediate cause of the crime appears to be non-religious, that is, a verbal argument. However, the extreme violence inflicted on the minor Hindu boy, resulting in his death, raises serious concerns about possible premeditation and deeper religious motives behind the attack. The disproportionate brutality suggests that the Muslim perpetrator may have harboured deep-seated animosity towards the victim, potentially driven by religious bias or hatred. Such excessive violence in response to a minor disagreement often reflects underlying communal tensions. There is a well-documented precedent where hostility towards the Hindu community has played a significant role in similar violent incidents. These acts are rarely isolated instances of violence but rather stem from entrenched religious intolerance and animosity, fitting into a broader pattern of anti-Hindu hatred. However, as there are currently no explicit indicators of religious motivation in this case, nor has the victim’s family suggested such a motive, the case remains classified as ‘Undecided’ in the database. If further evidence emerges confirming that the murder was religiously motivated, the case will be reclassified accordingly within the hate crime database.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
1
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 1
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
