Holi festival disrupted as Muslims brutally assault Hindus, molest women over DJ music in Rae Bareli

Case ID : d327b41 | Location : Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Wed, 4 March, 2026

Case ID : d327b41

Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, India

4 March, 2026

Holi festival disrupted as Muslims brutally assault Hindus, molest women over DJ music in Rae Bareli

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim

Communal clash/attack

Case Summary

In the Sabji Mandi area of Bachhrawan town, Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, Hindus were brutally attacked and Hindu women were molested by Muslim men during Holi celebrations. The attack happened after a dispute arose over the DJ's music being played. The Muslims objected to the DJ, after which they launched a violent attack on Hindu men and women, resulting in communal tensions in the area. According to reports, this occurred at around 1:30 in the afternoon of 5 March 2026. The Hindus were playing Holi in groups, dancing to the tunes of a DJ. The group of youths reached the Sabji Mandi locality. At this, men from the Muslim community asked Hindus to stop the DJ. A dispute broke out over this. This dispute escalated as the Muslims started throwing bricks and stones. When the Hindus protested this, Muslims came down from the rooftops of their houses and attacked them with knives. During the attack, Hindu women were molested by the Muslim youths. Following this, Hindus ran away to save their lives. Gurpreet, Ramsajivan, Ramsumiran, Santosh, Sheetla Prasad, Monu, Durgesh, Kuldeep Kumar, Basanti, Manju, and Luiya were injured in the stone-pelting and knife attacks. All were taken to the Central Health Centre (CHC), where doctors referred the seriously injured Monu and Santosh to the district hospital. Meanwhile, Hariom Dwivedi, Manish Gupta, Sandeep Shukla, Rajesh, and others, enraged by the incident, surrounded the Bachhrawan police station. Police attempted to pacify them, but they continued to chant "Police Murdabad." They stated that the police were trying to protect the accused. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sanjeev Kumar Singh and Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Administration Siddhartha arrived at the scene and assured action. Circle Officer (CO) Maharajganj Pradeep Kumar stated that a complaint had been filed by Kuldeep, Gauri, and Raju Rawat. An FIR was registered, and investigations began. Superintendent of Police (SP) Ravi Kumar arrived at the scene and took stock of the incident. Upon receiving information about the violence in Bachhrawan, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ravi Kumar arrived at the scene and inspected it. The SP assured the affected families that strict action would be taken. In view of the religious tension, a heavy police force was deployed at the scene.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case is being added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack not resulting in death. 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. The other subcategory selected 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 other subcategory selected is- Communal Clash/Attack. 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. This case stood as a clear instance of a religiously motivated hate crime, as the Muslim perpetrators targeted and brutally assaulted Hindus while they celebrated Holi in Rae Bareli's Sabji Mandi area. When Hindu women faced molestation during the attack, and other Hindus protested the violence, the perpetrators assaulted them as well with bricks, stones, and knives. The overall assault on Hindus during their Holi celebrations amounted to a deliberate attack driven by religious hatred, singling out the victims purely for their faith and festive joy. Holi holds profound religious significance for Hindus, marking the triumph of good over evil through the story of Prahlad's devotion to Lord Vishnu and the demoness Holika's fiery demise. Families and communities gather to light bonfires for Holika Dahan and play with colours, symbolising forgiveness, renewal, and the arrival of spring. This sacred festival embodies Hindu identity, fostering unity and devotion. Attacking Hindus immersed in these celebrations, including molesting women, desecrated their faith at its heart, transforming a moment of celebration into terror. Such violence during Holi directly insulted Hindu scriptures and traditions, confirming the religious nature of the crime. By targeting celebrants playing Holi to DJ music, the perpetrators aimed to humiliate and suppress Hindu practices, making this unequivocally a hate crime fuelled by animosity towards Hinduism. Overall, the brutality of the violence clearly showcased communal motivations. The assault was brutal and deliberate, showcasing a clear example of communal violence. When Hindus are attacked solely for their religious identity during Holi festivities, it reveals an underlying hostility rooted in contempt for their faith, symbols of worship and cultural practices such as Holi and dancing to festive music. The fact that the assault occurred during Holi, one of the most significant Hindu festivals, underscored that the intent was not only to inflict physical harm but also to provoke, humiliate and terrorise Hindus during their sacred celebration. The timing of the attack, coinciding with an important religious festival, exposed a calculated effort to undermine and desecrate the spirit of Holi. This was therefore not an isolated dispute over music but a targeted act of intimidation against Hindus, making it a clear and deliberate case of a religiously motivated hate crime. The fact that the perpetrators escalated from rooftops armed with bricks, stones, and knives showcased a premeditated nature rather than a momentary burst of anger. They did not limit themselves to verbal objections about the DJ; instead, they launched a coordinated attack designed to cause severe injury and terrorise the Hindu community. This level of preparation, combined with the specific targeting of Hindus during their festival, pointed directly to religious animosity as the driving force. Ordinary disputes do not involve such weaponry, rooftop ambushes, or molestation; this violence stemmed from deep-seated hatred towards Hindu celebrations, intended to send a chilling message of religious dominance and fear. The Hindus who protested and tried to protect other Hindu victims, including women facing molestation, were also brutally assaulted. This showcased that Hindus who attempted to shield fellow Hindus from religiously motivated violent attacks became targets themselves. The perpetrators aimed to terrorise the entire community, ensuring no one dared intervene during hate crimes. By assaulting protesters without hesitation, they created an atmosphere of impunity and dread, discouraging solidarity among Hindus. Such tactics amplified the religious hatred, turning a local incident into a broader campaign to isolate and intimidate the Hindu population during their most joyous festival. Given that this case met the parameters of a religiously motivated hate crime, it was recorded in the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Disclaimer: In this Rae Bareli case, even though multiple Hindu victims were targeted and attacked, the total number of victims has not been specified. Media reports named only a few who sustained serious injuries from the stone-pelting and knife attacks. Those included Gurpreet, Ramsajivan, Ramsumiran, Santosh, Sheetla Prasad, Monu, Durgesh, Kuldeep Kumar, Basanti, Manju, and Luiya. Two other Hindu victims, Gauri and Raju, filed an FIR. Therefore, the total victim count was recorded as 13. This was recorded for documentation purposes only.