Hindu man's hand chopped off by Nihang Sikh over allegations of consumption of intoxicants

Case ID : ef6549b | Location : Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, India | Date of Incident : Sun, 15 June, 2025

Case ID : ef6549b

Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, India

15 June, 2025

Hindu man's hand chopped off by Nihang Sikh over allegations of consumption of intoxicants

Undecided cases

Attacked/Killed for Hindu identity

Case Summary

In Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab, the hand of a Hindu youth was severed by a Nihang Sikh following accusations of consuming intoxicants. As per news reports, the 24-year-old victim, Jatin Walia, is a resident of the Master Colony, Mandi Gobindgarh. The attacker, identified as Karambir Singh, also known as Lovely Nihang, is from the same locality. A heated exchange took place between Lovely Nihang and Jatin Walia, during which the Nihang attacked Walia with a sharp weapon, severing his hand and leaving him bleeding. Walia was initially rushed to the civil hospital in Mandi Gobindgarh, but he was later transferred to Chandigarh for further treatment. According to the victim’s mother, Lovely, who lived on the same street as them, had been threatening to attack her son for several days. On the day of the incident, while she was at home, she was informed by neighbours that her son was being attacked. When she went outside, she witnessed Lovely assaulting her son with a sharp weapon, ultimately severing one of Jatin’s hands. Local eyewitnesses stated that the attacker described himself as a ‘social reformer’ who wanted to free people from drugs. He accused the victim of consuming intoxicants, which he used to justify his assault. Residents expressed concern over such incidents, emphasising that it is the government’s responsibility to address drug abuse, not individuals wielding swords and resorting to such extreme violence. Following the incident, the police were informed, and a case was registered against Lovely Nihang under Sections 109, 115(2), and 118(1) of the BNS. Police teams were formed to apprehend the accused, who was absconding.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

The brutal assault in Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab, where 24-year-old Hindu youth Jatin Walia had his hand severed by a Nihang Sikh, is a stark example of religious extremism manifesting as vigilantism. The attacker claimed he was targeting the victim for consuming intoxicants, portraying himself as a “social reformer.” However, this was not an act of reform; rather, an act of unilateral, violent punishment with a disturbing ideological undertone. While this particular case does not present a clearly visible or stated religious marker (such as explicit anti-Hindu slurs or attacks during religious practices), the victim's Hindu identity and the assailant's association with an extremist sect of the Nihang order are relevant. Moreover, it is important to remember here that the attacker had been threatening the victim for days, suggesting premeditated animosity. Importantly, there is documented precedence of Nihang extremists targeting non-Sikhs, particularly Hindus, under the guise of defending religious purity or enforcing a moral code. The 2021 lynching of Dalit Hindu Lakhbir Singh at the Singhu border, justified by baseless accusations of sacrilege, is one such notorious case that echoes similar motivations and patterns of violence. Similarly, in 2023, a group of Nihangs vandalised a Hindu temple in Punjab's Tarn Taran district and physically assaulted the temple priests. They reportedly objected to Hindu rituals being performed in what they claimed was a “Sikh-majority religious zone.” Given this background, the current case raises serious concerns about religiously motivated vigilantism. Moreover, the pattern of past incidents suggests that a potential ideological dimension may have been present in this case also. However, since there is no conclusive evidence of an anti-Hindu motive in this instance, we are adding it under the 'undecided' database. Should more information emerge confirming a religious motive, the case will be reclassified and moved to the hate crime database accordingly.