Hindu religious procession targeted by Muslim mob, stone pelted on devotees from a mosque
Hazaribag, Jharkhand, India 
12 April, 2025
Case Summary
A Hindu religious procession came under violent attack as it passed by a mosque in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. The incident occurred in the Jhurjhuri area of Barkatha, where a Shri Shri 108 Shri Shatchandi Maha Yagya was being conducted, alongside a Hanuman Pran Pratishtha ceremony. As part of the ongoing religious observances, a procession was taken out through the area. However, when the procession reached the Tarbechwa Mosque, members of the local Muslim community began pelting stones at the Hindu devotees participating in it. The mob reportedly escalated the violence by setting fire to several vehicles that were part of the procession. Further acts of arson were committed, with straw stored in local homes being deliberately torched. The attack left several people injured, including women. According to reports, stone pelting continued well into the night, taking advantage of the cover of darkness. Incidents of arson were recorded at more than half a dozen locations across the area. Eyewitnesses confirmed that the attack on the Sobha Yatra was premeditated. According to their accounts, as soon as the procession approached the mosque, a barrage of stones was hurled from the terrace of the building. One of the Hindu participants stated that members of the Muslim community deliberately targeted women and children in the procession. Witnesses further stated that it was individuals from this group who were responsible for setting the vehicles ablaze. They unanimously asserted that the assault took place in full view of the police, yet no effort was made by the authorities to intervene or protect the devotees. In response, enraged locals blocked the Delhi-Kolkata National Highway, demanding immediate and strict action against the perpetrators. Hazaribagh Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar Singh confirmed the incident, acknowledging that stone pelting and arson had taken place between the two communities. Additional security personnel have since been deployed, and the situation is now reportedly under control. The police have urged the public not to give credence to any kind of rumours or unverified information, cautioning that such falsehoods may be the handiwork of anti-social elements. Hazaribagh Police stated that they are closely monitoring all social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Citizens were advised to remain vigilant and not fall victim to any attempts at misinformation or provocation.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the first 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 second sub-category relevant here is- Attack on 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 third sub-category selected with the primary category is- Attacked for crossing 'Muslim area'. One of the reasons that Hindus get attacked unprovoked specifically by Islamists is for crossing ‘Muslim areas’. Essentially, Muslim mobs often attack Hindus crossing or present in certain areas which have a majority Muslim population. It has often been cited as one of the reasons to blame Hindus for attacks against themselves, signalling that Hindus displaying religious symbols, taking our religious processions or crossing any area which is dominated by Muslim residents is a provocation in and of itself. These areas are mostly ghettoized areas where mobs mobilize quickly to attack Hindus for a variety of reasons like playing music during a religious procession, crossing a mosque, wearing a tilak or any other religious symbol in a Muslim-dominated area, praying at a local temple in that area etc. There have been cases where the few local Hindus of that area have been attacked on their way to the Temple for prayers as well, simply because the area is considered a Muslim-dominated area. Several times, it is entirely possible that the immediate trigger for the violence against Hindus was non-religious in nature, however, the violence became religiously motivated in nature because the area was Muslim dominated and the residents on the whole harboured animosity towards Hindus, evidenced from the actions of the mob, the slogans, and the nature of the attack. Such crimes are motivated by the religious identity of the victims and are therefore classified as hate crimes under this category. The fourth sub-category under which this case has been placed 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 incident from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, qualifies as a clear instance of a hate crime against Hindus and rightfully warrants inclusion in the Hinduphobia tracker. The attack was not only directed at a peaceful Hindu religious procession but was also reportedly premeditated and targeted specifically because of its religious nature. Eyewitnesses stated that stones were hurled from the terrace of a mosque the moment the Sobha Yatra approached, indicating planning and intent. The attackers, identified as members of the local Muslim community, deliberately targeted women and children participating in the procession, setting fire to vehicles and causing injuries to several devotees. The violence continued into the night, with further stone-pelting and acts of arson reported at multiple locations. Such an attack not only seeks to instil fear among Hindus practising their faith but also attempts to assert religious dominance by treating the area as a no-go zone for non-Muslims. The fact that the assault took place in front of the police, who reportedly failed to intervene, adds to the sense of vulnerability and discrimination faced by the Hindu community. The violence was sparked solely because the procession passed through a Muslim-majority locality, making it a communal hate crime rooted in religious intolerance. As such, this case reflects targeted hostility against Hindus and their public expression of faith. Since petrol bombs and stones were hurled, it becomes obvious that the attack was premeditated and carefully planned. The use of such weapons requires preparation, acquisition of materials, and coordination among participants, all of which suggest a deliberate and organised effort rather than a spontaneous act of violence. Given that the fundamental motivation behind these actions is contempt for Hindus and their religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the following category.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
