Hindu religious event disrupted; Hindu devotees attacked with stones and bricks by Muslim children
Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India 
27 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Hathiya village, located in the Barsana area of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, the Hindu community organised a religious event known as Shrimad Bhagwat Katha. During this event, a group of Muslim children from a nearby locality began pelting stones and bricks at the Hindu devotees. According to news reports, the villagers had collected donations and arranged for the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha at Thakur Baghi, which was followed by a Bhandara (religious feast). After the event, women, men, and children were eating prasad (food) at the feast. At around 12:30 in the afternoon, Muslim children aged 10 to 12 years from the nearby Muslim colony behind the garden threw stones and bricks at those attending the feast. During the stone-pelting, a woman was struck on the head and injured. Her family and other villagers took her for medical treatment. Upon learning of the incident, the villagers became angry and informed the police, who promptly arrived at the scene. Police station in-charge Rajkamal Baliyan registered a case based on the complaint of Rajjo, the 63-year-old wife of an injured man named Balwant. Subsequently, SP Rural Suresh Chand Rawat stated that the police had detained several Muslim children in connection with the incident, and a police force had been deployed in the village to maintain law and order.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack not resulting in Death. The subcategory 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. Another relevant primary category is selected, which is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory selected is- Violence against religious structures or centres. In Hinduism, a religious structure is also considered divine. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the religious structure itself is sacred. In this sub-category, we would document attacks against religious structures which are not consecrated temple spaces. Such religious spaces could be temporary in nature – for example – the religious spaces erected specifically for festivals like Durga Puja etc. This category would also document cases of attacks against religious centres. These spaces in their own right may not be ‘sacred’ per se, however, are often spaces where religious gurus live, religious teaching is imparted, or belong to religious institutions. Any attack against religious structures is a result of animosity towards the religion itself, which manifests itself through the religious spaces and therefore, such attacks are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Religious centres are also manifestations of the religion, its teachings or gurus and therefore, attacks against such centres would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. This incident can be viewed as a hate crime against Hindus because it specifically targeted a Hindu religious gathering. The attack occurred while the Hindu community was peacefully participating in a religious event and communal meal, a time of spiritual significance and social unity. Gatherings such as this, including Bhandaras, hold deep religious and cultural importance in Hinduism. Attacks on such events strongly suggest that the act was motivated by religious reasons. The fact that the stone-pelting was directed at a Hindu religious gathering and Hindu devotees shows that the perpetrators had deep-seated hatred for Hindu traditions and practices, and also towards the Hindu devotees for their religious identity. Another concerning aspect of this case is that all the accused were minor children. This highlights the unfortunate reality that such animosity against Hindus and their faith may be instilled from a young age. The venomous seed of hatred has historically been sown by Muslim radicals, particularly targeting Hindus who have borne the brunt of this prejudice. They openly endorse the concept of Islamic supremacy and harbour animosity towards Hindus. Though it was the Muslim children who threw stones at the Hindu gathering, it highlights the Muslim radicals' ingrained animosity against Hinduism, which catalyses these kinds of horrific acts. The primary purpose behind this attack was to harm Hindu devotees and their religious event, due to deep-seated animosity towards the Hindu faith. When Hindus are attacked as a group during a moment of religious observance, it sends a message of hostility and intolerance towards the community’s beliefs and practices. In this case, the Hindu participants were targeted during a sacred occasion, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity and disrupting social harmony. Acts of violence like this are often rooted in deep-seated prejudices and can have a lasting impact on the Hindu community. In summary, the deliberate targeting of Hindus during a religious event, particularly by members of the Muslim community, is a clear example of a hate crime. It is an act intended to intimidate and harm individuals based on their religious identity. For these reasons, this case is being recorded in the hate crime database.
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
