Hindu man sent into gunfire as Muslim zip-line operator chants “Allahu Akbar” during Pahalgam Hindu massacre
Pahlgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India 
21 April, 2025
Case Summary
In Pahalgam, Kashmir, during the Hindu massacre, a Muslim perpetrator chanted “Allahu Akbar” as gunshots rang out and pushed tourist Rishi Bhatt onto the ride without warning. The video, which Bhatt filmed to record his zip-line adventure, shows the sounds of gunshots being fired at a distance. The Muslim zip-line operator, rather than taking protective action or alerting the tourist, glanced toward the direction of the gunfire and audibly chanted “Allahu Akbar” before pushing the visibly unaware tourist onto the ride. Crucially, he made no effort to stop or unhook Bhatt, despite the unfolding chaos and imminent threat, raising serious concerns about his role and intent during the attack. Bhatt later stated that the operator had not used the phrase “Allahu Akbar” when his family members took the ride earlier, a detail that has intensified suspicions around the operator’s actions. Bhatt also noted that the terrorists were disguised as security personnel and that local individuals were among the first to flee, offering no assistance to those under fire.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: - Attack not resulting in death, with sub-category being selected here 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. This incident qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime, as the Muslim zip-line operator deliberately endangered the life of a Hindu man, Rishi Bhatt, with full awareness of the dangerous situation unfolding around them. As someone native to Kashmir, a region long familiar with military activity and terrorism, the Muslim operator could not have mistaken those loud sounds for anything other than gunfire. While a visiting tourist might struggle to identify such sounds or understand their implications, a local, especially in a heavily militarised zone like Jammu and Kashmir, would instantly recognise them. His conscious decision to chant "Allahu Akbar" after hearing the gunshots, and then proceeding to push the Hindu tourist down the zip-line instead of stopping or unbuckling him, leaves little doubt about his intent. The operator’s behaviour was not a spontaneous reaction out of fear or confusion; rather, it was calculated and deliberate. Also, as Bhatt later stated, the Muslim operator did not chant "Allahu Akbar" when Bhatt's family members took the ride earlier. This deliberate invocation of a religious chant, within the context of the Pahalgam Hindu massacre and timed precisely with the outbreak of gunfire, further supports that the operator’s actions were not just negligent but ideologically driven. In light of similar cases where Hindus have been targeted purely for their identity, this incident must be documented as a religiously motivated hate crime.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 1
- Unknown 0
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
