Hindu priest brutally assaulted by Muslim mob as he objects to two individuals fighting near a Hindu temple

Case Summary
In the Singhwara police station area of Darbhanga, Bihar, a Hindu priest was brutally beaten by a violent Muslim mob. The priest was only trying to calm the situation when two individuals were fighting near a Hindu temple. The incident occurred near Bharwara Bazaar. According to the priest, named Prashant Kumar Bharati, he was inside the temple when he heard commotion outside. Upon stepping out, he saw two individuals—identified locally as Sanaullah and the son of Phool Babu—engaged in a fight. Eyewitness Manoj Kumar recounted that the two youths were fighting near the temple when the priest advised them not to create a disturbance at a sacred place. The advice was not received well, and the youths began to argue with him. Soon after, a group of around 50 to 60 people from a Muslim community arrived at the scene and attacked the priest. Police came and calmed the situation. The wounded Pujari was admitted to the hospital. Another local, Pintu Gupta, mentioned that the clash was between youths from Khan Chowk and Shankarpur. He noted that some elements were attempting to disturb peace in the area, but local residents handled the situation with restraint, expressing a desire to maintain harmony. “We treat each other like younger brothers. If the police had not arrived in time, the situation might have taken a more serious turn,” he said. Another eyewitness, identified as R.C., stated that the priest was not at fault and had only stepped in to resolve the dispute. He too sustained injuries during the scuffle, as did Pintu, who was also trying to mediate. Station House Officer Ranjit Kumar Choudhary later confirmed that the situation was under control and the area was peaceful. Police arrested five individuals. He stated that the police are actively investigating the matter.
Case Images


Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker un the primary category of - Attack not resulting in death. 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 primary category selected here is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. In this case, the violence did not stem from an ordinary disagreement between two individuals; rather, it escalated when a Hindu priest stepped in to stop a quarrel near a temple. In Hinduism, temples are revered as sacred spaces of worship, central to spiritual life and community identity. Any act of violence or disruption in or around a temple is not merely a law-and-order issue but constitutes a serious affront to the Hindu faith. In this case, the priest was not involved in any conflict but was attacked specifically for urging respect towards the temple’s sanctity. His assault, therefore, is not just an attack on an individual but a targeted violation of a sacred space, underscoring the religiously motivated nature of the incident. His attempt to restore calm was met with an unexpectedly aggressive reaction, which soon intensified into a coordinated attack by a Muslim group. The rapid mobilisation of the Muslim mob and their assault on the Hindu priest point to something deeper than a neighbourhood dispute. While the original argument may have been secular in nature, the response clearly took on a communal dimension, especially as it targeted a figure known for his religious role within the Hindu community. Witnesses have stated that the priest had not acted in a way that could be seen as provoking such a reaction. His intention was only to calm the situation. He did not contribute to the quarrel or display any bias, which further dismisses the idea that the violence could be described as retaliatory. The fact that he bore the brunt of the attack solely because of his position as a temple priest who attempted to protect the sanctity of the Hindu religious space highlights the religious angle of the aggression. Hence, this case is added to the hate crime database. Disclaimer: The details of this case indicate that approximately 50 to 60 individuals participated in the assault on the priest. However, since the exact number of perpetrators is not officially confirmed, we have conservatively recorded 50 as the perpetrator count in the database.
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
Case sub-judice

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
male