Case Summary

In a clear instance of anti-Hindu misrepresentation, the mainstream media outlet The Indian Express circulated a misleading report that framed a violent Muslim man who poured boiling fish curry on his wife as part of a Hindu couple, thereby twisting the narrative to vilify the Hindu community. In this case, the accused, a Muslim man named Mohammad Sajeer, poured boiling fish curry on his wife, Rejila Gafoor, after she refused to obey the black magic rituals and practices instructed by his Ustad. The victim suffered severe burn injuries in the attack, which took place after repeated coercion by the husband to participate in occult rituals that were said to invoke supernatural powers under the guidance of his religious mentor. However, the mainstream news outlet The Indian Express circulated a misleading AI-generated image that falsely depicted the individuals involved as Hindus. The image, which was later deleted after public backlash, portrayed a man and a woman dressed in symbols commonly associated with Hindu identity, the woman shown wearing a bindi, sindoor, and traditional Hindu jewellery. The caption accompanying the image read, “Kerala man pours boiling fish curry on wife’s face after she refuses to perform witchcraft ritual,” deliberately omitting the fact that both the accused and victim were Muslims. This visual and narrative manipulation amounted to a blatant case of anti-Hindu misrepresentation. By presenting a Muslim perpetrator of black magic–related violence as a Hindu, the news portal effectively shifted public perception and made the perpetrators Hindu.

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Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the hate tracker under the prime category- Hate speech against Hindus. Within it, the sub-category selected is- Anti-Hindu subversion and prejudice with the tertiary category being - Mislabelling/Misrepresentation of perpetrator's religion as Hindu and Anti-Hindu fake news or downplaying. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. The religious marker in this incident lies in the deliberate and misleading use of an image of Hindu couple by The Indian Express in depicting the Muslim accused. This kind of narrative not only distorts and communalise the narrative and but also malign the Hindu faith. The violent act committed by Mohammad Sajeer against his wife, Rejila Gafoor, was a case of domestic violence within a Muslim household, motivated by the husband’s insistence on performing black magic rituals taught by his Ustad. However, The Indian Express, a leading news portal, deliberately misrepresented the case by publishing an AI-generated image that depicted the accused and the victim as Hindus, thereby shifting the religious context and symbolically transferring the guilt and stigma of the act to the Hindu community. By publishing an AI-generated image (now deleted) that portrayed the woman wearing sindoor, bindi, and traditional Hindu jewellery, markers that are culturally and religiously specific to Hindu women, the media outlet constructed a false religious identity for both individuals. This visual framing was not incidental; it served to conceal the actual Muslim identity of the perpetrator, Mohammad Sajeer, and his wife, Rejila Gafoor, while simultaneously associating the violent and superstitious act of pouring boiling fish curry on one’s spouse with the Hindu community. The caption accompanying the manipulated image made no mention of the faith of those involved, thereby allowing the false impression that the individuals were Hindu. Therefore, this manipulation of religious identity was not a neutral error, it reflected a conscious editorial decision that weaponised imagery and language to distort facts and reinforce stereotypes against Hindus. By coupling Hindu iconography with a violent, superstitious act, the media outlet effectively equated Hindu identity with irrationality, brutality, and witchcraft — a pattern of portrayal that constitutes symbolic violence against an entire faith community. Such distortion serves the dual purpose of downplaying the religious identity of the Muslim perpetrator and, at the same time, vilifying Hindu symbols by linking them to barbarism, violence, and superstition. Furthermore, such misrepresentation results in broader hostility and reinforces negative stereotypes towards the Hindu community. By repeatedly portraying criminal or violent behaviour through Hindu iconography, the media conditions the public to associate Hindu identity with backwardness, irrationality, and superstition. This systematic vilification constitutes symbolic violence against the Hindu community and contributes to an environment of prejudice and cultural hostility. Therefore, this case qualifies as an instance of an anti-Hindu hate crime because it involves deliberate narrative manipulation aimed at defaming the Hindu community. By depicting a Muslim crime through Hindu imagery, The Indian Express not only misinformed the public but also advanced a communal bias that fosters animosity and misunderstanding toward Hindus. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker records incidents based on when an event occurred or when the victim's ordeal began. It is important to clarify that The Indian Express originally published the image on 30 October 2025, which was later deleted. Thus, the date of the incident has been recorded as - 30 October 2025.