Hindu man killed on a train over opposing Muslim radicals

Case ID : b45f5b7 | Location : Nagapur, Maharashtra, India | Date of Incident : Wed, 1 January, 2025

Case ID : b45f5b7

Nagapur, Maharashtra, India

1 January, 2025

Hindu man killed on a train over opposing Muslim radicals

Attack resulting in death

Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim

Case Summary

A 25-year-old Shashank Ramsingh Raj, a native of Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, was murdered onboard the Hyderabad-Delhi Dakshin Express after confronting 4 Muslims. Shashank was travelling to Jhansi from Secunderabad in the general compartment of the train when the incident occurred. While sleeping near the train's toilet, Shashank’s ₹1700 was stolen by four men identified as Mohd Fayyaz Mohd Hashimuddin, Sayyad Sameer Sayyad Jimal, M Shyam Koteshwar Rao, and Mohd Amam Mohd Akbar, all residents of Hyderabad. Later, Shashank noticed the group attempting to steal a co-passenger’s mobile phone, prompting him to intervene. During the confrontation, he realised his money was also missing. An argument escalated into violence, and the accused brutally assaulted Shashank. He was beaten so severely that he vomited and lost consciousness. When the train reached Nagpur railway station, railway doctors examined him and declared him dead. Other passengers managed to detain two of the accused, while the remaining two tried to hide in the train. All four were eventually apprehended by the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Nagpur. They were charged with murder and theft.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the category of- Attack not resulting in death and within this, the sub-category selected is- Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified 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. This incident is categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime because Shashank’s death resulted from his act of challenging the group’s criminal behaviour. The attack was a retaliation for his intervention to stop the thefts. This case highlights the extreme violence used to silence individuals who oppose criminal or radical actions, making it a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime in the context of resisting those who engage in such activities.