Premeditated communal attack on Hindu religious procession in Bihar; devotees targeted by Muslim mob over DJ dispute
Bettiah, Bihar, India 
4 August, 2025
Case Summary
In Dumriya village of Bettiah, Bihar, Hindu devotees were violently attacked during the Mahaviri Akhara procession by a Muslim mob. The Mahaviri procession, also known as the Mahaviri Yatra, is a traditional Hindu religious procession held every year in reverence to Lord Hanuman, also referred to as Mahavir. According to reports, the Hindu religious procession was passing through Dumriya village, with Hindu devotees playing DJ during the procession. The dispute occurred when the Muslim side objected to the playing of the DJ, stating that since the earlier Muharram procession was taken out without the DJ, the Mahaviri procession should also be carried out without it. The verbal argument quickly escalated into stone pelting and violence by the Muslim community. It was reported that the attack was carried out at the behest of a Muslim man named Shikari Mian, deputy Mukhiya (Panchayat member). Around 50 individuals from Shikari Mian's village launched a premeditated attack on the Hindu procession. They had stored bricks and stones on rooftops in advance and used them to target the devotees. About 30 people from both sides sustained injuries in the violence, with 19 taken to Majhauliya Community Health Centre for treatment. Of them, 9 were in critical condition and referred to the Government Medical College Hospital. Locals stated that the police were not present during the procession, which allowed the situation to spiral out of control. A heavy police force was deployed to restore law and order in the area. As of the date of writing this report, a formal complaint was lodged at the police station against Shikari Mian and his associates. The investigation was ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker un the primary category of - Attack not resulting in death. The sub-category 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 second sub-category 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 third sub-category 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. The fourth sub-category selected here 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. This case qualified as a religiously motivated hate crime because Hindu devotees in the Mahaviri Akhara procession were subjected to stone pelting by a Muslim mob. The procession was attacked over a minor scuffle regarding the playing of the DJ. The confrontation began when members of the Muslim community objected, stating that since the DJ was not permitted during their Muharram procession, it should not be allowed here either. This was a lopsided and arbitrary argument, as permissions for such processions are granted by the administration, not negotiated between religious communities. In reality, the DJ or the confrontation was just a ruse; the attack procession was already pre-planned. The fact that stones were stockpiled on rooftops in advance shows clear premeditation and intent. It was a premeditated one-sided communal attack on Hindu devotees with the intention of disrupting the religious procession. This was not merely an attack on people in a public space but on those demonstrably engaged in Hindu devotion. As such, it qualified as a hate crime because it targeted a religious group in the act of worship, violating both personal safety and freedom of religion. The Mahaviri procession, also known as the Mahaviri Yatra, is a traditional Hindu religious procession held every year in reverence to Lord Hanuman, also referred to as Mahavir. It is marked by the carrying of saffron flags, chanting of bhajans, and collective participation of devotees from various villages. The procession symbolises strength, devotion, and community unity and is an integral expression of Hindu dharma. Therefore, attacking a religious procession, especially when it did not violate any lawful order and was carried out with the full permission of the administration, was not a neutral act. It was a direct attack on the public expression of Hindu religious identity. Such processions are often objected to by those who ideologically oppose the public display of Hindu symbols. This hostility, manifested through violence, reflects an intention to silence, disrupt, or punish the religious expression of Hindus. The disruption of such a procession by a MUslim mob was therefore more than just a physical altercation; it was an ideological act rooted in the desire to suppress the outward expression of Hindu religious identity. This pattern had been seen time and again, where mobs from the Muslim community resort to disproportionate violence over minor inconveniences or issues, especially against Hindus. Even in this case, too, there was no provocation, yet a brutal attack was launched on it, simply because the Hindu procession was playing the DJ. The fact that stones were stockpiled on rooftops in advance shows clear premeditation and intent, thus turning a non-existent issue into a full-blown one-sided communal attack against Hindu devotees. The violence was aimed at disrupting a Hindu religious procession and was rooted in animosity towards the public expression of Hindu devotion. This clearly shows that the violence was not driven by any neutral civil dispute, but by deep-rooted religious animosity. The Hindu devotees were targeted because they were publicly asserting their faith. Since the violence was a product of religious animosity, this case has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
