Hindu youth killed in knife attack during Navratri celebrations in Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Case ID : 30ab12d | Location : Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India | Date of Incident : Fri, 9 October, 2026

Case ID : 30ab12d

Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India

9 October, 2026

Hindu youth killed in knife attack during Navratri celebrations in Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Undecided cases

Attacked/Killed for Hindu identity

Case Summary

In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, an 18-year-old Hindu youth, Gaurav Sen, was murdered during the Navratri celebrations by an unidentified individual. The perpetrator attacked him with a paper cutter while he was participating in the festivities. Gaurav Sen, a resident of Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, was attacked near Golden Jubilee Square in Amlidih between 10 pm and 10.30 pm on 10 October 2026. An argument broke out between Gaurav and a minor over dancing following the arrival of the Durga idol. During the altercation, the minor picked up a paper cutter lying nearby and stabbed Gaurav near the thigh before fleeing the scene. Gaurav sustained serious injuries and succumbed to them. Upon receiving information about the incident, the New Rajendra Nagar police arrived at the scene and launched an investigation. The police examined footage from nearby CCTV cameras and questioned local residents to identify the perpetrator. During the investigation, the minor perpetrator was identified and arrested. New Rajendra Nagar police station in-charge Azharuddin confirmed that Gaurav Sen, an 18-year-old resident of Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, had been stabbed to death. The minor accused was arrested, and the police initiated further legal proceedings in the case.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case is being added to the Undecided database of the Hinduphobia Tracker because, at the time of documentation, the available details did not establish any religious motivation behind the immediate crime that would warrant its classification as a hate crime. The fact that an 18-year-old Hindu youth was stabbed to death while participating in the Navratri celebrations raises a valid concern about whether he was targeted because of his Hindu identity or his participation in the religious festivities. This concern arises in the context of multiple incidents in which Hindus have been targeted, attacked and killed because of their religious identity. The Hinduphobia Tracker has documented several such cases, including incidents in which Hindu devotees were attacked during Navratri and other religious festivals by perpetrators from non-Hindu backgrounds. However, while the circumstances of Gaurav Sen’s murder warrant scrutiny, the available information does not establish that religious hostility was the motive behind this particular crime. The exact reason for the altercation between Gaurav and the minor perpetrator was not established at the time of writing this report. Although the dispute arose over dancing following the arrival of the Durga idol, it remains unclear whether the disagreement had any connection to Gaurav’s Hindu identity or his participation in the Navratri celebrations. There is also no documented evidence of the perpetrator using anti-Hindu slurs, expressing hostility towards Hinduism or explicitly indicating that Gaurav was targeted because of his religious identity. Consequently, it remains equally plausible that the murder resulted from a personal dispute, an existing rivalry, a disagreement during the festivities or a sudden act of violence arising from an altercation. Without further evidence, it would be premature to attribute a religious motive to the crime. The Hinduphobia Tracker follows strict criteria for classifying an incident as a hate crime, requiring evidence that religious hostility or the victim’s religious identity played a role in motivating the offence. In this case, the available details do not sufficiently establish such a connection. Therefore, the case will remain in the Undecided database rather than being classified as a confirmed hate crime. If further information emerges demonstrating that Gaurav was attacked because of his Hindu identity or participation in the Navratri celebrations, the case will be reassessed and moved to the hate crime database.