Hindu trader in Sindh dies after repeated looting and abduction by Muslims

Case ID : ef655f4 | Location : Kashmor, Sindh, Pakistan | Date of Incident : Wed, 28 May, 2025

Case ID : ef655f4

Kashmor, Sindh, Pakistan

28 May, 2025

Hindu trader in Sindh dies after repeated looting and abduction by Muslims

Attack resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

In Kashmore, Sindh, a Hindu businessman named Sarwan Kumar passed away in a private hospital in Sukkur due to high fever and severe mental stress. His death followed a series of traumatic events, including abduction, captivity, and repeated financial losses caused by Muslims. According to reports, Sarwan Kumar was abducted three years ago near the Murid Shakh interchange while travelling from Kashmore to Raharki Sahib. He was taken by armed dacoits along with a young girl. The girl was released the same night, but Sarwan was taken deep into the riverine region of Raunti, where he was held captive for two and a half months. His family managed to secure his release after paying a ransom of 1.7 million Pakistani rupees. After returning home, Sarwan resumed his life and started a wheat trading business with his brother, Deepak Kumar, on Line Old Sui Road in Kashmore. However, he continued to face criminal targeting. His shop was looted three times, with over 1.5 million rupees stolen in total. These repeated financial setbacks severely impacted the family's economic condition and led to increasing mental stress. Sarwan, who came from a modest background and had also sustained fractures in two separate road accidents, eventually developed a high fever due to stress-induced depression. Despite receiving treatment at a private hospital in Sukkur, he sadly passed away. His death has sparked grief and concern among local citizens and members of the Hindu community, who have pointed to the persistent lack of security and protection for minorities in the region. Many believe that the repeated targeting of Sarwan and the financial pressure it caused contributed significantly to his deteriorating health and untimely death. His brother, Deepak Kumar, has appealed to the Chief Minister of Sindh, the Inspector General of Police, and other senior authorities to take strict action against those responsible and to provide financial and moral support to the bereaved family. This incident is yet another stark reminder of the oppression and atrocities Hindu minorities face in Pakistan, marked by systemic discrimination, violence, and forced conversions. Hindus, particularly women and young girls, are often abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off to Muslim men with little to no legal recourse. Temples are frequently vandalised or destroyed, and Hindu communities are subjected to social and economic marginalisation. Blasphemy laws are disproportionately used against Hindus, leading to false accusations and severe punishments. Many Hindu families are forced to flee their homes due to religious intolerance, living in constant fear of attacks. This sustained persecution highlights the dire conditions for Hindus in Pakistan, where their religious identity makes them targets of oppression.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: - Attack resulting in death. Within it, the sub-category selected 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, cases where the attack led to the death of the Hindu victim/s would be documented. This case has been added to the tracker because a Hindu man, Sarwan Kumar, was repeatedly targeted by Muslims in Sindh, Pakistan, ultimately leading to his death due to stress-related illness. If such an incident had occurred elsewhere, it might be categorised under the "undecided" database of the Hinduphobia Tracker, as the available case details do not explicitly indicate a religious motive, leaving room to interpret it as opportunistic crime. However, given that this took place in Pakistan, where the Hindu minority consistently faces systemic and targeted persecution, it is reasonable to conclude that the man was attacked specifically because of his vulnerable status as a member of a marginalised religious community. The broader context of persistent anti-Hindu discrimination in Pakistan strongly suggests that his religious identity played a role in his victimisation. In regions like Sindh, Hindu businessmen are frequently targeted for abduction, extortion, and violence. This is not merely opportunistic crime; it reflects an entrenched pattern where Hindus are seen as soft targets, exploited because they lack political power and institutional protection. The repeated looting of Sarwan Kumar’s shop and the failure of law enforcement to intervene or provide justice point to a systemic environment where crimes against Hindus are either ignored or insufficiently addressed. This incident is not isolated—it reflects a deeply entrenched pattern of religiously motivated violence against Hindus in Sindh. Hindu boys, girls, and women are frequently subjected to brutal acts, including sexual violence, abductions, and forced conversions. These attacks are often driven by the belief of religious supremacy in Islam, where the lives of Hindus are considered inferior, which can be violated with impunity. The lack of legal protection, complicit silence of the authorities, and systemic failures of the judicial system perpetuate a climate of fear and injustice. Such cases illustrate how Hindu minorities in Pakistan are deliberately targeted for their faith, reinforcing the urgent need for international scrutiny and pressure to ensure the safety, dignity, and human rights of these vulnerable communities. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that the report does not specify the exact date when the persecution of Hindu businessmen began. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported in the media.