Hindutva WhatsApp group member sentenced for inciting anti-Muslim violence during 2020 Delhi pogrom
Court says convict “added fuel” to communal hatred; group allegedly coordinated killings and attacks on Muslims during state-backed violence
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Delhi court has sentenced a member of the Hindutva WhatsApp group Kattar Hindu Ekta to three years in prison for inciting anti-Muslim hatred during the February 2020 pogrom that left 53 people dead—most of them Muslims.
Lokesh Kumar Solanki was convicted under Sections 153A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity and spreading public mischief. The court found that Solanki actively stoked violence through hate-filled messages and admitted to killing two Muslims and dumping their bodies in a drain during the attacks in Bhagirathi Vihar.
Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh, delivering the judgment on July 8, said Solanki’s actions “added fuel to the already simmering tensions” and “induced others to commit crimes,” making the offence “very serious in nature.” The court imposed a sentence of three years’ simple imprisonment, along with a fine of 25,000 Indian rupees ($300) for each offence.
Though Solanki has already spent over three years in custody and is expected to be released, the judgment marks a rare instance of legal accountability for perpetrators of the 2020 anti-Muslim pogrom—violence many rights groups say was enabled, if not encouraged, by the ruling political establishment.
The Kattar Hindu Ekta group was allegedly created to coordinate real-time attacks on Muslims during the Delhi violence. Investigative reports and even Delhi Police documents indicated that the group facilitated not only hate speech but also logistical planning for targeted killings and destruction of Muslim homes, shops, and mosques.
On February 25, 2020—at the height of the carnage—Solanki boasted in the group: “Just killed two Muslims in Bhagirathi Vihar and threw them in the drain with my team.” This message, among others, was used as evidence of his intent and involvement in incitement.
The 2020 pogrom, which unfolded in the wake of BJP leaders openly inciting violence against anti-CAA protesters, resulted in the deaths of 53 people, including 38 Muslims. Thousands were displaced, and Muslim-owned properties were systematically targeted in what human rights observers described as a state-backed campaign of communal terror.
Despite overwhelming evidence of organized Hindutva violence, most of those prosecuted have been Muslim, while perpetrators aligned with Hindutva groups have largely escaped punishment—making this sentencing a rare exception in an otherwise one-sided legal response.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
