Hindu women subjected to sexual harassment by Muslim men during Garba event in Uttar Pradesh
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 
28 September, 2025
Case Summary
In Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, a commotion erupted at a Dandiya-Garba event. During the event, Hindu women and girls were subjected to sexual harassment by Muslim men. This unruly behaviour of the accused caused disturbance at the event. According to media reports, at a guest house in Ramadevi, two Muslim men attending the Dandiya-Garba event began making obscene remarks and molesting the Hindu women and girls. Following this, the police were informed, but the accused men fled the scene before officers arrived. However, after their identities were established, a case was registered against them based on a complaint filed by a female police constable. The police then launched a search for the accused. Late at night, the accused, Sohail Siddiqui and Saif, were arrested. According to the complaint filed by the female police constable Sarita, posted at the Chakery police station, a Dandiya-Garba event was being held at a guest house in Ramadevi on 29th September 2025, and she was on duty there for security. She stated that she received information about two Muslim men making lewd comments and harassing women and girls present at the event. By the time she arrived, the accused had already fled. Those present identified the accused as Sohail Siddiqui and Saif. Police constable Sarita said she and her fellow officers conducted an extensive search for the men, but they had already escaped. A case was registered against both of them at Chakery police station. Station in-charge Santosh Kumar Shukla confirmed that a case was registered and both Muslim men were arrested.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack not resulting in death. Within this, the subcategory selected 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. Another primary category selected is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The other subcategory selected is- Breaking rules of place of worship. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This incident clearly qualifies as a hate crime against Hindus. Firstly, the Muslim accused specifically targeted Hindu women for sexual harassment by making lewd comments and physically molesting them. The fact that these men deliberately entered a Hindu religious event with the purpose of harassing and assaulting Hindu girls and women shows that the attacks were motivated by the victims’ religious identity. Targeting victims based on their Hindu faith is a direct indication of religiously motivated intent. Sexual violence and molestation perpetrated by members of one community against women of another, especially when based on religious identity, exemplifies a hate crime fuelled by religious animosity. Such actions are a result of deep-seated hatred for the Hindu community and its women, making it a religiously motivated crime. Secondly, the event took place during a Garba-Dandiya celebration, which is a sacred Hindu religious observance venerating the divine womb and femininity of Goddess Durga, one of Hinduism’s most revered deities. The Muslim accused, who do not follow Hindu beliefs, intruded upon this sacred occasion with disrespect and hostility. Their actions—entering this religious event to harass Hindu women and girls—constitute a gross undermining and defiling of Hindu religious customs. Garba is deeply sacred, and desecrating it through harassment and lewd behaviour is a direct affront to Hindu sentiments, compounding the religiously motivated nature of the crime. Given these factors, the targeted sexual harassment of Hindu women based on their religion, the desecration of a sacred religious observance, and the clear intent to humiliate and intimidate the Hindu community, this case meets the criteria of a religiously motivated hate crime. Consequently, it is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
