Hindu tribal brutally murdered by 7-8 armed Muslim assailants, relative suspects attempt to seize tribal land
Gumla, Jharkhand, India 
2 December, 2024
Case Summary
37-year-old Vinay Oraon was brutally murdered with an axe in his parental home in Jilinga village, Dumardeeh Panchayat, Gumla, Jharkhand. The attack, carried out by a group of seven to eight assailants, was linked to a land dispute. On the day of the incident, the assailants unscrewed the lightbulbs in the house, plunging it into darkness, and then dragged Vinay to the courtyard, where they killed him with an axe. His uncle, Sanjay Oraon, heard noises and saw the attackers threatening the family and hurling abuses. The attackers even threw a bomb, which exploded without causing injuries but left the family in terror. The suspects in the complaint included Sabin Ansari, Lala Miyan, and four others. Vinay’s wife, Kalawati Devi, revealed that a prior attempt on his life had occurred just weeks earlier in Ranchi. Vinay had been staying at Kalawati’s home in Ranchi but returned to his village 10 days before the attack. Vinay’s uncle, Devram, stated that the murder was part of a plan to seize tribal land. He accused certain Muslim settlers of exploiting tribal vulnerabilities by marrying tribal women to gain access to their land. Devram also raised suspicions about Kalawati’s involvement, pointing to the unlocked doors during the attack and her family’s absence at Vinay’s funeral. The deceased's uncle added that Vinay's wife had previously eloped with one of the prime accused, Sabin Ansari which is why they further suspected that she was involved in the murder. The police registered an FIR (411/2024) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Superintendent of Police Shubhu Kumar assured a thorough investigation, promising the arrest of all suspects. Meanwhile, Vinay’s grieving family struggled to come to terms with his loss, expressing fears for his young son, who remained with Kalawati’s family in Ranchi.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack resulting in death and under this, the sub-category selected is- Attack to induce migration from non-Hindu dominated area. There have been cases where the Hindus living in an area, often with a majority dwelling belonging to non-Hindus or those harbouring animosity towards the Hindu faith, the Hindu residents experience threats and violence. The violence is employed with the aim of making the Hindus leave the area and relocate, so the area could be turned into an exclusive ghetto for adherents of the non-Hindu faith or those who harbor animosity towards the Hindu faith. In several cases, the aim of exodus is explicit. However, in several cases, the demand for exodus of Hindu residents is not explicit, however, violence by non-Hindu residents leaves the Hindu residents no option but to leave the area, thereby, turning the area into an exclusive ghetto of non-Hindu residents. In such cases, there are instances of violence against the Hindu residents explicitly. For example, in the Hauz Qazi case of 2019, the Muslim residents claimed that mob violence against the Hindu residents had been triggered by a parking dispute. However, the violence did turn religious with a temple being desecrated, and was directed specifically against the Hindu residents. The Hindu residents of the area were clear that the violence was religiously motivated and one of the motives was to affect an exodus of the Hindu residents. In such cases, even though the perpetrators have not explicitly expressed the aim of affecting exodus, the given circumstances and violence and precedent point to the intention of exodus and therefore would be categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime. Under this category, cases where the attack led to the death of the Hindu victim/s would be documented. In Jharkhand, where Hindus constitute a minority, demographic and cultural tensions are deeply ingrained in various parts of the state. In this context, the allegations made by Vinay’s family, particularly his uncle, indicate that this incident may not be limited to a personal or financial dispute but could reflect a broader pattern of targeting tribal Hindus in non-Hindu-dominated areas. The claim that Muslim settlers exploit tribal vulnerabilities, such as marrying tribal women to gain access to their land, highlights an intent to reshape the demographic and cultural fabric of the region. These actions, combined with the violent attack on Vinay and the use of terror tactics like throwing a bomb, appear to be aimed at intimidating and pressuring tribal Hindu family to abandon their ancestral lands and leave the area. While land dispute was the key aspect, the targeted actions against a Hindu tribal individual in a non-Hindu-majority area point to religious animosity as a motivating factor, making this a religiously motivated hate crime under the selected category.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
1
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 1
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 0
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
