Hindu wedding procession attacked by Muslim mob, stones pelted
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 
1 February, 2025
Case Summary
A Hindu wedding procession was attacked by Muslims in the Prashant Vihar area of Ghaziabad's Loni district. The attack occurred when a group of Muslim youths entered the procession, molested women who were dancing and began physically assaulting the wedding guests. When the Baraatis protested, the attackers pelted stones, injuring several, including the groom’s father and brother. The situation worsened as dozens of youths threw stones from rooftops and chased the wedding procession members, beating them. The victims managed to escape and alerted the police. Upon arrival, the police detained seven individuals involved in the attack. The victim's family also stated that the attackers looted cash and jewellery during the chaos. Local MLA Nandkishore Gurjar visited the victim's family, condemned the attack, and demanded that strict action be taken against the perpetrators. He also urged the administration to take preventive measures to avoid such incidents in the future. The police investigation confirmed that the altercation began over the wedding procession’s dancing, and the attackers had warned that future weddings passing by their houses would face similar consequences. A complaint was filed against several accused, including Firoz, Sahil, Shalu, Bhati, Asif, and 10-12 unidentified persons. Seven individuals, including Abdul, Tahir, Sajid, Junaid, Usman, and Ehsan, were arrested.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the primary category 'attack not resulting in death' under various sub-categories owing to the nature of the crime and the various threads of religiously motivated hate displayed. The first sub-category this case has been added to 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. The second sub-category this case is being added to is 'Attacked for opposing radicals'. 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. The third sub-category this case is being added to is 'Attacked for crossing Muslim area'. One of the reasons that Hindus get attacked unprovoked specifically by Islamists is for crossing ‘Muslim areas’. Essentially, Muslim mobs often attack Hindus crossing or present in certain areas which have a majority Muslim population. It has often been cited as one of the reasons to blame Hindus for attacks against themselves, signalling that Hindus displaying religious symbols, taking our religious processions or crossing any area which is dominated by Muslim residents is a provocation in and of itself. These areas are mostly ghettoized areas where mobs mobilize quickly to attack Hindus for a variety of reasons like playing music during a religious procession, crossing a mosque, wearing a tilak or any other religious symbol in a Muslim-dominated area, praying at a local temple in that area etc. There have been cases where the few local Hindus of that area have been attacked on their way to the Temple for prayers as well, simply because the area is considered a Muslim-dominated area. Several times, it is entirely possible that the immediate trigger for the violence against Hindus was non-religious in nature, however, the violence became religiously motivated in nature because the area was Muslim dominated and the residents on the whole harboured animosity towards Hindus, evidenced from the actions of the mob, the slogans, and the nature of the attack. Such crimes are motivated by the religious identity of the victims and are therefore classified as hate crimes under this category. In this case, the Hindu wedding procession was crossing an area with Muslim households. The wedding procession was playing music. Muslim radicals started molesting the women in the wedding procession and when other Hindus opposed the action of the radicals, they were attacked with stone pelting. Further, the Muslims of the area who were attacking the Hindus also threatened the Hindus saying that all Hindu processions would be attacked if they crossed that specific area. There are various elements in this case that indicate religiously motivated animosity harboured by the Muslims which led to the attack against the Hindus. First and foremost, the attack was a result of inherent animosity that the Muslim population harboured against Hindus and thus, the attack was a result of Hindus "crossing" an area that the Muslim population views as a 'Muslim area'. They believed that the mere presence of Hindus in the area was an affront to them and therefore, the attack was based on religious identities and the resultant hostility. Further, the radicals also attacked the Hindus because they opposed the radicals from molesting Hindu women who were a part of the wedding processions. With the threat which the Muslims issued to Hindus, saying that every Hindu procession crossing the area would be attacked, it is evident that the crime was one based on religious animosity and hostility born out of the religious identity of the Hindus.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
