Hindu girl molested by Muslim youth, violent mob attacks victim's family for complaining leading to communal clash
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India 
23 November, 2024
Case Summary
In the Sardhana area of Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh, tensions erupted on November 24, 2024, after a Hindu girl was molested by a Muslim youth. The incident escalated into violent clashes involving stone-pelting and the use of weapons, leaving 12 people injured. Police have arrested one accused since. The confrontation began when a Hindu girl, engaged in household work, was molested by members of the Muslim community. According to the victim’s brother, when the girl resisted, the accused attempted to drag her into a forested area by covering her mouth. She managed to escape and informed her family. In response, a village panchayat was convened, where the accused were made to apologise, and the matter seemed resolved. However, shortly afterwards, a mob from the Muslim community armed with sticks, sharp weapons, and illegal firearms attacked the victim’s family at their home. The attack on the victim’s family drew the attention of nearby Hindu residents, leading to a clash between the two groups. Stone-pelting ensued from both sides, with the mob firing shots and using sharp weapons. Local police arrived at the scene to control the situation, deploying reinforcements from multiple stations.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The case has been added to the tracker under the category of- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the first sub-category added is- attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victims. 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. The second sub-vcategory chosen here is- communal clash. 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. In this case, the Hindu family was brutally attacked for resisting and opposing the actions of a Muslim youth. The Islamist mob, instead of condemning the Muslim youth's action, launched a brutal assault on the victim's family. This attack on the Hindu family by a mob that was armed with weapons and illegal firearms reflects an organized attempt to intimidate and suppress dissent from the victim's side. The fact that the Muslim mob was armed with sticks, sharp weapons, and firearms, suggests that the attack was not just a random act of violence, but a calculated attempt to intimidate and exert dominance on the Hindus. The crime of molestation can be said was not rooted in religiously motivated hate. However, the escalation thereafter where the Muslim mob attacked the family of the victim was designed to intimidate Hindus and save the perpetrator, who was a co-religionist. In such cases, the trigger of the violence may be deemed non-religious in nature, however, the escalation where the Muslim mob unleashes violence to save a co-religionist takes a communal turn with the victim and their family being attacked specifically on religious lines. The assault ultimately took a communal dimension when the Hindu residents responded in the form of reprisal, where Hindus felt forced to defend themselves against an organized and violent mob. These attacks constitute a symbolic aggression against the Hindu community, rooted in underlying hostility toward Hinduism, which is why this case has been documented in the tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
