Ram Navami procession attacked, devotees stone-pelted by Muslims over playing DJs and hoisting religious flags in Garhwa, Jharkhand
Garhwa, Jharkhand, India 
25 March, 2026
Case Summary
In the Ramkanda police station area of Garhwa district of Jharkhand, a Ram Navami procession was attacked, and the Hindu devotees were pelted with stones by members of the Muslim community. The Muslims blocked the Ram Navami procession route, and then a conflict arose regarding DJs and religious flags, leading to attacks from Muslims against Hindu devotees. According to media reports, this attack occurred on the night of 26 March 2026. The Hindu locals took out a procession on the occasion of Maha Ashtami on Ram Navami. Members of the Muslim community blocked the procession route near the Kauakhoh Shiva platform, leading to a dispute between the two sides. The Muslims also had a problem with Hindus playing DJ music and hoisting religious flags during the Ram Navami procession. Following this, the Muslim side escalated the dispute by stone pelting against Hindus. This further resulted in a communal clash between Hindus and Muslims. Upon receiving information about the incident, Deputy Inspector General Kaushal Kishore arrived at the scene to assess the situation. The Deputy Inspector General stated that a religious procession had been taken out under police protection before Ram Navami. Nevertheless, the procession was pelted with stones. Police used mild force and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. The Deputy Inspector General stated that the situation was currently under control. The entire area had been turned into a police camp. No one was spared, regardless of who was responsible. He added that several people, including a police officer, had been reported injured; all received treatment. Regarding the incident, Garhwa Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar stated that a dispute had arisen between the Hindu and Muslim communities regarding the procession. The Superintendent of Police added that a minor dispute had also occurred on 25 March 2026 regarding the procession. The two communities met and agreed to allow the procession to proceed. However, when the procession began, some members of the Muslim community gathered and pelted stones, creating a tense atmosphere. The Superintendent of Police stated that, given the tense situation, police used mild force and fired tear gas shells. The crowd dispersed, and the situation was currently calm. Garhwa Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar stated that the station in charge had been placed under suspension. Nineteen people from both sides had been arrested in connection with the incident, and 18 vehicles had also been seized. Six policemen were injured in the incident.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack not resulting in death. The subcategory selected is- Attack on religious procession. The outward celebration and display of religious symbols in an intrinsic part of Hinduism. Religious processions on various festivals are age-old traditions and a way to manifest faith and form a part of the religious practices of Hindus. On several occasions, such religious processions come under attack by non-Hindu mobs, in a manifestation of their animosity towards Hinduism and their practices. The reasons cited for such violent attacks are many and range from crossing a non-Hindu resident-dominated area to playing loud music, crossing from an area where there is a religious structure of another faith etc. The violent attacks are triggered by the outward display of religiosity by Hindus. The attacks are mainly a manifestation of religious supremacist doctrine which believes that idolatry, essentially the Hindu faith, is one that deserves to be annihilated since the very tenets of Hinduism, its practices and traditions are considered a sin in those doctrines. Since these attacks emanate from intrinsic and doctrinal animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, it is considered a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The other subcategory selected is- Attack against Hindu devotees. Hindu devotees are a few of the easiest targets of religiously motivated hate crimes because during the festival/procession/puja etc, for non-Hindus it is easy to profile their victims on the basis of religion. Hindu devotees come under attack on several occasions by individual non-Hindus or mobs of non-Hindus owing to their animosity against Hinduism, its symbols and tradition/practices. There are several instances of Hindu devotees being attacked while they worship in temples or temporary religious structures, during religious processions, doing bhajan/kirtan/puja in their own homes, in the residential society etc. These attacks are perpetrated by non-Hindus primarily because of their animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, there are two elements that make these hate crimes. First, the Hindus who come under attack are attacked violently while indulging in religious activity. Whether they are in a place of worship or not is immaterial to the crime. When individuals are attacked while indulging in religious practices, the attack in itself is a hindrance to their freedom to practice religion and therefore constitutes a hate crime. Secondly, religious supremacist doctrines and ideologies deem religious practices of Hindus to be offensive ab initio since they are considered “sinful” by these ideologies, worthy to be annihilated by force or coercion. Driven by these religious supremacist ideologies and doctrines, the attacks against Hindu devotees stem from intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, it develops into a religiously motivated crime during the course of the violence. Since these attacks stem from animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, they are considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The other subcategory selected is- Attacked for Hindu identity. 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. The other subcategory selected is- Communal Clash/Attack. Communal clash is a form of collective violence that involves clashes between groups belonging to different religious identities. For a communal clash between Hindus and non-Hindus to qualify as a religiously motivated hate crime, the trigger of the violence itself would have to be anti-Hindu in essence. For example, if there is a Hindu religious procession that comes under attack from a non-Hindu mob and after the initial attack, Hindus retaliate in self-defence, leading to a communal clash between the two religious communities. While at a later stage, both communities are involved in the clash/violence, the initial trigger of the violence was by the non-Hindu mob against the Hindus and therefore, it could safely be termed as an anti-Hindu violence. Further, the trigger would also have to be religiously motivated. In the cited example, the attack by the non-Hindu mob was against religious processions and therefore, can be concluded to be religiously motivated. In some cases, the trigger may be non-religious, however, it develops into religious violence against Hindus at a later stage. In such cases too, the foundational animosity towards Hindus becomes the motivating factor of the crime and therefore, it would be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus under this category. This case constituted a clear instance of a religiously motivated hate crime because the Muslim perpetrators launched a violent attack on the Ram Navami procession and stone-pelted the Hindu devotees. The dispute began over the fact that Muslim perpetrators blocked the procession route and objected to Hindus playing DJ music and hoisting religious flags. Stone pelting and attacks on Hindus resulted in a communal clash. Overall, this made it a clear case of a religiously motivated hate crime. Ram Navami holds immense significance for Hindus as it celebrates the birth of Lord Ram, the supreme embodiment of dharma, righteousness, moral virtue, and ideal kingship as depicted in the epic Ramayana, through grand processions that traverse public streets with vibrant energy. These processions feature powerful devotional music and soul-stirring bhajans blaring through DJs and religious flags fluttering proudly in the wind, resonant sacred chants like "Jai Shri Ram" echoing far and wide, and tableaux depicting scenes from Lord Ram's life, all proclaiming the eternal, triumphant victory of good over evil and adharma. Hindu families, youth groups, and entire communities participate with fervour, dressed in traditional attire, carrying idols and symbols of faith, forging unbreakable spiritual bonds and preserving rich cultural heritage transmitted across countless generations. In this case, Muslim perpetrators launched a brutal, unprovoked attack on the Ram Navami procession, deliberately blocked its designated route to halt its progress, and then savagely assaulted unarmed Hindu devotees. This act of blocking the route showcased their brazen desire to impose Islamic supremacy and religious dominance in shared public spaces, denying Hindus their fundamental right to celebrate their festival, while the ensuing physical attack laid bare their deep-seated, visceral religious animosity towards the Hindu community. This assault ruthlessly desecrated the sacred procession and its profound sanctity, inflicting excruciating, lasting hurt on the religious sentiments of the Hindu community and rendering it an irrefutable case of religiously motivated hate crime. Muslims launched a brutal, coordinated attack on innocent devotees, mercilessly pelting them with stones during their peaceful, joyous celebration of faith that posed no threat to anyone. This violent outburst showcased deep-seated religious animosity towards the Hindu community, as attackers deliberately targeted devotees amidst the height of festivity to instil pervasive, paralysing fear, suppress their vibrant religious expression, and stifle public displays of faith that form the bedrock of Hindu identity and cultural continuity. Such assaults on devotees during religious festivals and processions revealed the profound depth of hostility the perpetrators harboured towards victims' faith identity, aiming not merely to disrupt proceedings but to intimidate, terrorise, and systematically erode the confidence of the entire Hindu community in practising their ancient faith and traditions openly and without any fear. In this case, Hindu victims committed no wrong whatsoever and provoked no one; they merely conducted their procession along the pre-assigned route explicitly approved by local authorities and police, played DJs amplifying Lord Ram bhajans, and hoisted religious flags bearing sacred symbols as integral, time-honoured elements of Ram Navami rituals that symbolise unwavering devotion, communal harmony, and the timeless triumph of righteousness. Muslim perpetrators became instantaneously triggered solely by the sight of this benign, lawful Hindu religious expression, flags waving, and music praising Lord Ram, immediately mobilised to block their way with hostility, and unleashed a brutal barrage of stone pelting that injured many, confirming this as a clear case of religiously motivated hate crime stemming from their deep-seated animosity, raw intolerance, and pernicious bigotry towards Hindu victims, their faith identity, and any visible assertion of Hindu pride. The nature of the attack itself, characterised by large-scale stone pelting with an abundance of projectiles readily available, demonstrated beyond doubt that perpetrators had premeditatedly readied themselves well in advance to assault Hindus during their sacred religious procession. It did not erupt from sudden rage or an isolated altercation but showcased cold, premeditated intent executed with ruthless precision, the unmistakable hallmarks of a religiously motivated hate crime designed to terrorise, humiliate, and send a chilling message of Muslim dominance to the targeted Hindu community. Overall, every element of this incident rendered it a clear case of a religiously motivated hate crime. Therefore, this case has been added to the Hate Crime Database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: In this case, the total number of perpetrators and victims was not clearly specified. Eighteen people from both sides were arrested following the attack; however, the breakdown between Muslims and Hindus remained unspecified. Neither the total number of perpetrators nor victims was detailed. Henceforth, both the perpetrator count and the victim count have been recorded as 'Unknown'.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
