Sacred Garba space violated: Minor Hindu girl dragged out of garba pandal, slapped repeatedly by Muslim man in Nalasopara

Case ID : 30aaeca | Location : Nala Sopara, Maharashtra, India | Date of Incident : Sun, 18 October, 2026

Case ID : 30aaeca

Nala Sopara, Maharashtra, India

18 October, 2026

Sacred Garba space violated: Minor Hindu girl dragged out of garba pandal, slapped repeatedly by Muslim man in Nalasopara

Undecided cases

Case Summary

In Nalasopara East, Maharashtra, a 17-year-old Hindu girl was dragged out of a Garba pandal and brutally assaulted by an 18-year-old Muslim man named Gufran Shaikh during a Navratri event in the Santoshbhuvan area. According to The Times of India, the accused assaulted the minor after becoming upset that she had stopped talking to him. The report also stated that the victim and the accused were friends. However, social media accounts stated that the minor Hindu girl was harassed after she objected to being touched inappropriately. These accounts differed on the circumstances leading to the assault. The victim attended a Garba event at Garel Pada in Santoshbhuvan on Monday night, 19 October 2026. The accused dragged her out of the pandal and slapped and assaulted her. A video of the incident subsequently went viral on social media. In the video, a bystander objected to the accused slapping the girl and warned him that his actions were being recorded. The accused responded, “Do whatever you want,” before slapping the minor Hindu girl again. Senior Inspector Sachin Kamble of the Pelhar Police Station stated that the victim and the accused were friends and that the accused was upset after she stopped talking to him. Following the incident, the Pelhar Police registered a case against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and arrested him. Further investigation into the case was underway at the time of reporting.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case was included in the Undecided database because the assault of a minor Hindu girl took place within a Garba pandal during Navratri, a sacred religious gathering dedicated to the worship and celebration of Goddess Durga. While the location of the assault raised concerns about the violation of a Hindu religious space, the available information did not establish that the attack was motivated by religious hatred. According to some media reports, the victim and the accused were friends, and the accused assaulted her after she stopped talking to him. However, the other social media accounts stated that the Hindu girl was harassed after she objected to the Muslim accused's inappropriate behaviour. Garba during Navratri holds special religious significance for devotees of Goddess Durga. Those who place their faith in the Goddess and her nine forms participate in these gatherings with devotion, dancing and rejoicing in celebration of the Divine Feminine. Through devotional songs, traditional dances and collective worship, devotees express their reverence for the Goddess and celebrate her presence during the nine nights of Navratri. A Garba pandal is therefore not merely a recreational venue but a space where Hindu devotees come together to celebrate a sacred religious tradition. The fact that the accused and the victim were friends does not, by itself, eliminate the need to examine the religious dimension of the incident. The accused entered the Garba venue, dragged the minor Hindu girl out of the pandal and assaulted her. Even if the assault arose from a personal dispute, the violence disrupted a gathering where devotees had assembled to worship and celebrate Goddess Durga. The accused's actions violated the sanctity of this pious setting, where devotees had gathered in faith and devotion. However, the available information did not establish whether the accused's actions were motivated by hostility towards the victim's Hindu identity or the religious significance of the event. The Hinduphobia Tracker follows a stringent verification process and does not classify an incident as a religiously motivated hate crime without sufficient evidence of a religious trigger. Therefore, this case was placed in the Undecided database. If further information establishes that the victim was targeted because of her Hindu identity or that the assault was connected to hostility towards Hindu religious practices, the case can be reassessed and updated accordingly.