Hindu man assaulted, threatened with death by Muslim mob for testing DJ system in preparation for Holi

Case ID : f6648be | Location : Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, India | Date of Incident : Fri, 14 March, 2025

Case ID : f6648be

Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, India

14 March, 2025

Hindu man assaulted, threatened with death by Muslim mob for testing DJ system in preparation for Holi

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

A Hindu family in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao was threatened with death by a Muslim man, Mohammad Aarif, for testing a DJ system in preparation for Holi celebrations. According to Ajay's video statement on social media, the incident took place when he was preparing for Holi festivities by testing a DJ system at his home. Mohammad Aarif stormed into his house and, in a fit of rage, ordered Ajay to stop playing music immediately. When Ajay asked him to wait, Aarif turned violent, physically attacking him and tearing his clothes. A mob of 8-10 Muslims, armed with sticks, entered Ajay's house, issuing death threats to him, his father, and his siblings.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, 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. The key factor in this classification is that the Hindu victim, Ajay, was targeted not for causing any public disturbance but simply for celebrating a Hindu festival within his own home. The attack was unprovoked, as Ajay was merely testing a DJ system inside his house in preparation for Holi. Despite being in his private space, Mohammad Aarif barged into his home and aggressively demanded that the music be stopped. When Ajay asked him to wait, Aarif turned violent, physically assaulting him and tearing his clothes. Soon after, a mob of 8-10 Muslims, armed with sticks, stormed into Ajay’s house, issuing death threats to him and his family. The fact that Aarif and his accomplices not only objected to the music but resorted to physical violence and threats underscores that their opposition was not about noise but about hostility toward the Hindu festival itself. Given that the trigger for this aggression was the Hindu identity of the victim and the festival being celebrated, this case is a clear example of religiously motivated hostility and has therefore been included in the Hinduphobia tracker.