Hindu siblings brutally beaten and harassed at gunpoint by Pakistani media mogul and his accomplices
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan 
31 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Karachi’s Defence Society, Pakistan, a Hindu man was brutally assaulted by a Muslim man named Salman Farooq and his armed bodyguards. The victim’s sister was also harassed, and both siblings received death threats. A video of the incident went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage and prompting swift public demand for Farooq’s arrest. The victims were identified as Sudhir Dhun Raj and his sister Kalpana. Salman Farooq, the owner of Bionic Films, was named as the main accused. The incident occurred when Raj, after picking up his sister Kalpana from the beauty parlour where she works, was on his way to collect his youngest sibling. During the journey, Raj’s motorcycle lightly brushed against Farooq’s car. Although Raj apologised, Farooq and his armed bodyguards proceeded to brutally assault him. Meanwhile, Raj's sister Kalpana was begging for mercy, but she was harassed by Farooq and his bodyguards, and her requests were unheard. The video of the attack circulated widely on social media, intensifying public outrage and leading to demands for Farooq’s immediate arrest. This pressure prompted the police to take swift action. In the video, Salman Farooq was seen holding the man’s hands as bodyguards seated in the vehicle repeatedly slapped him. Kalpana, visibly distressed, could be heard begging Salman Farooq to stop, with folded hands. Her pleas were ignored, and the assault continued. An FIR was lodged at the Gizri police station based on a complaint from an eyewitness, Muhammad Saleem. Farooq was subsequently arrested. The FIR included charges of issuing death threats, physical assault, harassment of a woman, and verbal abuse. Reports indicate that Farooq ordered his armed guards and driver to trap Raj inside their vehicle at gunpoint, beat him, and issue threats and abuse. Pakistani news media reported that the Hindu siblings’ home was found locked, and police were attempting to contact them by phone to record their statements. On 3rd June 2025, a court granted a two-day physical remand for Salman Farooq and another accused individual in the case. This case is a stark reminder of the persistent persecution faced by Hindu minorities in Pakistan, marked by systemic discrimination, violence, and forced conversions. Hindus, particularly women and young girls, are often abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off to Muslim men with little to no legal recourse. Temples are frequently vandalised or destroyed, and Hindu communities are subjected to social and economic marginalisation. Blasphemy laws are disproportionately used against Hindus, leading to false accusations and severe punishments. Many Hindu families are forced to flee their homes due to religious intolerance, living in constant fear of attack. This sustained persecution highlights the dire conditions for Hindus in Pakistan, where their religious identity makes them targets of oppression.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
Hindus in Pakistan, who comprise only about 2% of the population, face routine persecution and discrimination, both socially and institutionally. There is ample documentation from human rights organisations and international media pointing to a disturbing pattern of violence against the Hindu minority. These include mob attacks on temples and homes, forced conversions and marriages of Hindu girls and women, abductions, and targeted killings. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns over how Islamist groups, often enabled by the inaction or complicity of authorities, have created an environment of fear and systemic marginalisation for Hindus. Many Hindu families in Pakistan are subjected to daily harassment, exclusion from public life, and threats that either push them into conversion or force them to migrate to India in search of safety. The justice system itself is frequently biased—police are often reluctant to register complaints from Hindus, and courts are known to be susceptible to religious and political pressure, leaving victims with little to no recourse. This broader context of sustained persecution makes any violent incident involving Hindu victims, especially at the hands of the majority community, deeply suspect. In the present case, where a Hindu man and his sister were brutally assaulted by a Muslim man and his armed guards following a minor road mishap, there is strong suspicion that their religious identity played a role in the disproportionate and violent response. Beating the victim in public, detaining him at gunpoint, and harassing his sister despite their repeated apologies and pleas, goes far beyond what such an incident would typically warrant. This excessive aggression, especially when the victim belongs to a vulnerable religious minority, cannot be separated from the context of anti-Hindu sentiment that pervades sections of Pakistani society. However, despite this reasonable suspicion—and the disturbing visuals of the attack—there is no clear or direct evidence yet to confirm that the assault was explicitly motivated by communal hatred. There are no reported instances of religious slurs, threats invoking the victims' faith, or any other verbal confirmation pointing to Hindu identity being the reason for the attack. Therefore, until such evidence emerges, this case is being placed under the ‘Undecided’ category in the hate crime tracker. If further details come to light establishing that the victims were targeted due to their religion, it will be reclassified accordingly as a hate crime.
Victim Details
Total Victim
2
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 1
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 2
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 2
Case Status
Case sub-judice
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
