Hindu extremist group filmed torturing Muslim man in India

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Muslim man was publicly tortured, stripped and forced to apologize by a group of Hindu extremists in northern India, according to a viral video that has sparked outrage and renewed scrutiny of vigilante violence targeting the country’s Muslim minority.

The footage, reportedly filmed in the city of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, shows the victim surrounded by men who repeatedly beat him with a belt, verbally abuse him and interrogate him over allegations linked to the “love jihad” conspiracy theory — a Hindu supremacist narrative that falsely claims Muslim men systematically target Hindu women for conversion through romantic relationships — before forcing him to apologize on camera. 

Among those seen in the video is Daksh Chaudhary, also known as “Akku Pandit,” a self-styled Hindu activist who has previously been associated with actions targeting individuals accused of being involved in interfaith relationships.

Rights advocates have long warned that the such anti-muslim conspiracy theory narrative has helped legitimize harassment, social boycotts and violence against Muslims and interfaith couples, often enabling private groups to assume the role of moral enforcers outside the legal system.

Police had not issued any public statement regarding the video at the time of publication, and it remained unclear whether a formal complaint had been filed by the victim or his family.

The incident is the latest in a series of attacks linked to Hindu extremist groups operating under the banner of protecting religion, culture or women from perceived threats.

The circulation of the video on social media triggered widespread condemnation, with many users demanding the immediate arrest of those involved and questioning how such acts of public brutality continue to occur despite repeated warnings from rights groups about the dangers of hate-fueled vigilantism.