Hindu youths brutally attacked by Muslims over a minor verbal altercation, resulting in religious tensions

Case ID : e89955c | Location : Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Thu, 29 May, 2025

Case ID : e89955c

Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

29 May, 2025

Hindu youths brutally attacked by Muslims over a minor verbal altercation, resulting in religious tensions

Attack not resulting in death

Communal clash/attack

Case Summary

In Dewran Garhiya village, Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, a minor verbal altercation between two Hindu men and a Muslim man escalated into a violent attack on the Hindu men by a large group of Muslims, resulting in communal tensions in the area. According to reports, the victims were identified as Sumit and Nitin. They had gone to eat finger chips at a stall near the Panchayat building in the neighbouring village of Azad Nagar. While they were sitting on a bench eating, a Muslim youth from Azad Nagar attempted to pass over their finger chips. When Sumit and Nitin objected, an argument ensued. The situation quickly escalated, and a group of around twenty Muslim individuals arrived at the scene armed with sticks and batons and began to brutally attack the two Hindu men. In an attempt to protect themselves, Sumit and Nitin ran into a nearby dairy owned by a man named Satyapal. The assailants followed them inside, continued the assault, and spilt the milk stored there. Upon receiving information about the incident, Inspector Rajeev Kumar and Town In-charge Sanjeev Kumar arrived at the scene with a police force. On seeing the police, the crowd dispersed. The police arrested two Muslim individuals and brought them to the station. The injured, Sumit and Nitin, were provided with medical attention. Sumit subsequently filed a complaint naming ten individuals and implicating a further eight unknown persons. Inspector Rajeev Kumar stated that, upon receiving information about the assault, he arrived at the scene with his team. The police said that the matter would be investigated and further action would be taken accordingly.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack not resulting in death. The 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 incident has been categorised as a hate crime due to the communal nature of the violence and the disproportionate, religion-driven response by the Muslim assailants. The conflict began with a minor verbal altercation between two Hindu youths and one Muslim youth. Such disagreements are common and are typically resolved peacefully through dialogue. However, instead of settling the matter constructively, members of the Muslim community gathered in large numbers, that too armed with sticks and batons, and escalated the situation by physically assaulting the Hindu men. This act of severe violence over a trivial dispute was unwarranted and demonstrated a hostile overreaction. Such a disproportionate response to a minor altercation highlights the underlying animosity the members of the Muslim community hold against Hindus. The escalation reflects a mindset of religious supremacy, where even minor, non-religious provocations are met with aggressive force when the perceived offender is Hindu. This pattern of disproportionate retaliation, driven by identity-based hostility, is what qualifies the incident as a hate crime. As seen in many cases of hate crimes against Hindus, the initial cause is usually non-religious; however, when a disproportionately large group of non-Hindus attacks Hindus over minor disputes, it underscores the presence of religious prejudice and underlying communal tensions. Targeting individuals because they belong to a particular community is a defining characteristic of hate crimes. Such acts are intended not only to harm the immediate Hindu victims but also to instil fear or hostility within the wider Hindu community. The disproportionate and targeted nature of the violence, the communal identities of those involved, and the resulting religious tensions all suggest that this incident can be interpreted as a hate crime against Hindus. As this case fits the parameters of the hate crime database, it is being added to this list. Disclaimer: According to media reports, the verbal altercation began with a Muslim youth, after which a group of 20 additional Muslims arrived and began assaulting the victim. Therefore, the total number of perpetrators is recorded as '21'.