Hindu activists and their family members attacked by armed Muslim mob in retaliation for exposing beef racket
Siliguri, West Bengal, India 
30 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Siliguri, West Bengal, Hindu activists and their families were attacked by an armed Muslim mob. This occurred in retaliation because Hindu activists were preventing illegal cow smuggling/slaughter. On May 29, local residents caught a pickup van transporting beef illegally. Upon stopping the vehicle, they discovered six sacks containing large amounts of beef. They called Hindu activists who arrived at the location and began investigating the vehicle. During the search, they discovered an illegal firearm, raising concerns of a wider conspiracy involving beef smuggling and potential threats to public safety. The driver of the vehicle, identified as a Muslim man named Noorul, was accompanied by a Muslim woman named Khatun. Neither of them had any valid documents related to the transport, leading to their immediate arrest by the police. Furthermore, some Hindu activists were also arrested because the vehicle in which beef was transported was allegedly set on fire. This incident intensified suspicions surrounding ongoing cow slaughter and beef smuggling activities in the region and raised questions about the role of the state administration in curbing such incidents. Following the arrests, tensions further escalated on May 31, 2025, when the Hindu activists were being presented in the court. A Muslim mob of approximately 150 to 200 people surrounded the police station. The Muslim mob, armed with swords, sticks, iron rods, and stones, attacked the Hindu activists and also targeted the house of one of the arrested activists. During the attack, the activist’s brother was assaulted with a sword, women in the household were harassed, and even children were attacked. This violent retaliation created an atmosphere of fear and unrest in the area. In the aftermath, a large gathering of members from the Hindu community assembled in protest against this attack. Furthermore, various Hindu organisations had also called for a bandh/shutdown in Siliguri city.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: - Attacked for Hindu identity. Within it, the sub-category 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. The second sub-category relevant here 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. This case has been added to the tracker because Hindu activists and their family members were attacked by a Muslim mob. They were attacked because they prevented an illegal transportation beef network and got two people arrested, who were Muslims. Thus, Muslims saw this as an attack on their community, which resulted in a disproportionately violent reaction from them. This was a communal and religion-driven response by the Muslim assailants. This happens due to the religious animosity that exists in Islam against non-Islamic faiths and the concept of Ummah, where loyalty to fellow Muslims is often prioritised, even when they are clearly in the wrong. The attackers responded not because of any personal grievance, but because the accused were Muslim and those who exposed them were Hindus. Such a reaction underscores a mindset of religious supremacy, where lawful intervention by Hindus is viewed as a provocation deserving of punishment. It reflects a dangerous pattern: when Hindus act to stop crimes, particularly those with religious undertones like cow slaughter or beef smuggling, they become targets of organised violence simply for doing the right thing. This kind of identity-driven retaliation, rooted in religious hatred, is exactly what makes this a clear case of anti-Hindu hate crime.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
