Gau Rakshak attacked by five Muslims for filing a complaint against beef smuggling

Case Summary
In Ahmedabad, Gujarat, a Hindu gau rakshak named Manoj Baria was attacked by five Muslim men out of which three were identified as Hussain, Waseem, and Mubeen. The attack took place on place on 21st January 2025 at Lal Darwaja in Karanj police station area. Manoj was standing around Rupali Cinema around 8 AM with a friend when four to five masked people arrived there and attacked him with sharp weapons and sticks. He recognised one of the attackers from his voice as Muhammad Hussain. About three months ago, Manoj had filed a police complaint against Hussain and his men for smuggling 700 kg of beef. Manoj was reportedly attacked by Hussain and his men as revenge for the complaint he had filed against Hussain. The police managed to acquire the CCTV footage which shows masked men attacking Manoj. Based on the CCTV footage and the description of the complainant, the police traced the accused and arrested them on the same night and registered a case under sections 189(2), 191(2), 191(3), 190, 115(2), 118(1) of the BNS and section 135(1) of the Gujarat Police Act. The police stated, “The interrogation of the accused caught on the night of the incident also confirmed the identity of the other three who were arrested early in the morning. After the arrest, action was taken against all the five accused as per the norms and they were presented in the court and remanded. After remand, we took the accused to the crime spot and recreated the crime scene.”
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category of- Attack not resulting in death and within this, the sub-category selected is- Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The attack on Manoj Baria, a Hindu gau rakshak, by five Muslim men is a clear instance of retaliation for his opposition to their illegal activities, specifically smuggling beef. Manoj had previously filed a police complaint against Hussain and his associates for smuggling 700 kg of beef, an act that violated Hindu sentiments, as cow slaughter is deeply offensive to the Hindu faith. This attack carried out with sharp weapons and sticks, was a targeted act of revenge for Manoj's attempt to stop their criminal activities. The use of violence to silence opposition to such illegal actions highlights the religious motivations behind the attack, where Manoj's actions to protect Hindu beliefs and the cow as a sacred animal led to retaliation by those with a vested interest in promoting practices contrary to those beliefs. The case has been appropriately categorized under "Attacked for opposing radicals," as Manoj's assault was a direct consequence of his stand against those promoting harmful, illegal actions in defiance of Hindu religious sentiments.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0

Case Status
Arrested

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male