Hindu family assaulted for bursting firecrackers on Diwali night, victim says Muslims in area instigate clash before every Hindu festival
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India 
20 October, 2025
Case Summary
On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, a Hindu family in Ekta Nagar, Kandivali (Mumbai) was attacked after members of the Muslim community objected to their bursting firecrackers outside their home. The incident, which began as a minor argument, soon escalated into a violent altercation, leaving two people injured. According to eyewitnesses, the Hindu family was bursting firecrackers as part of traditional Diwali celebrations on the evening of October 21, 2025, when their Muslim neighbours objected to the noise and smoke. Despite the family’s attempt to continue the celebration peacefully, the disagreement quickly intensified. Members of the Muslim household became aggressive and physically assaulted the Hindu family, leading to a fierce exchange involving blows, sticks, and fists. Police arrived promptly after receiving information, arresting three accused and bringing the situation under control. In a video from the scene, a woman from the victim’s family can be heard stating that Muslims in the area routinely create a ruckus and instigate clashes before every Hindu festival, including Ganesh Puja and Diwali. The incident underscores how Hindu religious celebrations, even when observed peacefully, are increasingly being met with hostility and violence in communally sensitive areas.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added under the category- Attack not resulting in death. Within this, the first subcategory selected is- Attack 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 second 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 has been added to the Hinduphobia Tracker because it represents a deliberate act of hostility and violence directed at a Hindu family for practising their faith during Diwali. What began as a peaceful and customary act of devotion — bursting firecrackers to celebrate the festival of lights — was met with aggression from members of the Muslim community, escalating into physical assault and public violence. The attack reflects deep-rooted animosity toward Hindu identity and visible expressions of faith. The Hindu family was not engaged in any provocation; they were simply performing a traditional ritual associated with Diwali. Yet, their act was treated as a provocation, leading to a violent assault. This disproportionate response underscores a pattern of intolerance toward Hindu religious expression, where even benign practices like lighting diyas or bursting crackers become flashpoints for aggression. Eyewitness accounts and video evidence reveal that this was not an isolated incident. A woman from the victim’s family stated that such clashes are routinely instigated by local Muslims before every Hindu festival, including Ganesh Puja and Diwali. Her testimony indicates a recurring pattern of premeditated hostility, suggesting that these confrontations are used as tools of intimidation to suppress Hindu celebrations and discourage public expressions of faith. The communal nature of the attack, where members of one religious group collectively targeted a Hindu family during a holy festival, reveals an intent to assert dominance and restrict Hindu presence in shared spaces. It demonstrates how religiously motivated hostility continues to manifest through public intimidation, particularly during Hindu festivals, when acts of devotion are most visible. By targeting a family for celebrating Diwali, the perpetrators sought to humiliate and terrorise them for their Hindu identity, continuing a broader trend of anti-Hindu aggression where community celebrations become grounds for confrontation and violence. Disclaimer: Although reports describe the attack as being carried out by a mob, the exact number of perpetrators involved has not been officially confirmed. Since three arrests have been made in connection with the incident, the perpetrator count has been conservatively recorded as three for documentation purposes. This figure will be updated if further verified details regarding the total number of assailants become available.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
