Hindu girl doused with boiling water by Muslim neighbour after returning from playing Holi in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh

Case ID : f6648a9 | Location : Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Sun, 24 March, 2024

Case ID : f6648a9

Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, India

24 March, 2024

Hindu girl doused with boiling water by Muslim neighbour after returning from playing Holi in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

In the Jat settlement of Ghatabillod village, Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, a Hindu girl named Payal Tiwari was attacked by her Muslim neighbour, Faizan, who poured boiling water on her as she returned home after playing Holi with her friends. The assault resulted in burns to her face, neck, and chest. According to media reports, this incident occurred on 25 March 2024. A video circulating on social media shows Payal in a hospital bed, recounting that upon requesting water from her sister to wash off the Holi colours, Faizan doused her with boiling hot water. Some reports also state that he poured hot water on her after she asked for drinking water. Her father, Rakesh Tiwari, corroborated this account. The girl's face was burned, as seen in the video, and she could be heard crying as her mother took her to the hospital. When questioned about any prior disputes between the victim's family and the perpetrator's family, Payal denied any such issues. She also said that when her family approached the police to file a report, Faizan's relatives dismissed the accusations as theatrics. Authorities investigated the case and were trying to determine if there was a real reason for the incident.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack not resulting in death. The subcategory 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. This case was added to the tracker because it demonstrated how a routine and joyous Hindu festival became the trigger for targeted hostility and violence against a Hindu girl, highlighting how the open celebration of Hindu traditions was met with aggression and intimidation. Holi is one of the most vibrant and widely celebrated Hindu festivals, marked by colours, laughter, and light-hearted gatherings among friends and neighbours. During such occasions, it is common for young people to play together, share joy, and enjoy the festive atmosphere in their neighbourhoods. In this instance, the Hindu girl Payal Tiwari was doing precisely that, returning home to the Jat settlement in Ghatabillod village, Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, after playing Holi with her friends in a cheerful mood. Her conduct reflected the normal spirit of the festival and involved no confrontation or provocation. However, her Muslim neighbour, Faizan, confronted and attacked her upon her return on 25 March 2024. He poured boiling water on her, causing severe burns to her face, neck, and chest, and turning a harmless festive moment into a frightening assault. Attacking Hindus immersed in these celebrations desecrated their faith at its heart, transforming a moment of celebration into terror. Such violence during Holi directly insulted the Hindu faith and traditions, confirming the religious nature of the crime. By targeting a young Hindu girl returning from playing Holi, the perpetrator aimed to humiliate and suppress Hindu practices, making this unequivocally a hate crime fuelled by animosity towards Hinduism. The escalation involved denial and intimidation by the perpetrator's relatives, yet the sequence of events made it clear that the violence began with the attack on the Hindu girl who had been peacefully participating in Holi celebrations. Incidents like this carry a deeper psychological impact on local communities. Festivals such as Holi are meant to bring families and neighbours together in joy. When a Hindu girl celebrating the festival is violently attacked, it creates fear and sends a chilling message to the wider Hindu community about the risks of openly celebrating their traditions. Overall, the brutality of the violence clearly showcased communal motivations. The assault was brutal and deliberate, showcasing a clear example of communal violence. When Hindus are attacked solely for their religious identity during Holi festivities, it reveals an underlying hostility rooted in contempt for their faith, symbols of worship, and cultural practices. The fact that the assault occurred right after Holi celebrations underscored that the intent was not only to inflict physical harm but also to provoke, humiliate, and terrorise Hindus during their sacred festival. The timing exposed a calculated effort to undermine and desecrate the spirit of Holi. This was therefore not an isolated neighbourly dispute but a targeted act of intimidation against a Hindu girl, making it a clear and deliberate case of a religiously motivated hate crime. Since this case met the parameters of a hate crime, it has been added to the Hate Crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.