Hindutva mob lynched Muslim man in India for drinking water

Mob tortured mentally unwell Muslim man to death, then spread false accusations to excuse the killing

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A mentally unwell Muslim man from southern India was brutally lynched by a mob of Hindu extremists after he drank water during a local cricket match in Karnataka state. 

The attackers later falsely accused him of shouting pro-Pakistan slogans, in what human rights groups say is a now-familiar pattern of vigilante violence and communal propaganda.

Ashraf, 36, was originally from Malappuram district in the southern state of Kerala but had been residing in nearby Wayanad. 

On April 27, he was in the coastal city of Mangaluru, in Karnataka state, when he stopped near a Hindu temple in Kudupu to watch a local cricket match. 

According to eyewitnesses, the mob attacked him after he drank from a cup of water placed near the players.

The assault began when one player confronted Ashraf, and quickly escalated. 

A gang linked to the Hindutva youth group “Samrat Guys,” allegedly led by Ravindra Nayak—the husband of a local leader from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—tortured Ashraf using cricket bats and wooden logs, striking him repeatedly on the head, back, and genitals. 

Despite the pleas of bystanders, the attackers continued until he collapsed.

According to Maktoob Media , a news outlet based in India, Ashraf died from internal bleeding caused by blunt force trauma. 

His post-mortem, conducted at Wenlock District Hospital, revealed deep injuries across his body, including the head, limbs, and buttocks.

Police have arrested 20 suspects, many allegedly affiliated with violent Hindu supremacist organizations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bajrang Dal. 

Investigators are analyzing CCTV and phone data to track down additional suspects.

In the hours following the lynching, members of the Hindu right-wing circulated the claim that Ashraf had shouted “Pakistan Zindabad”, a phrase that means “Long Live Pakistan” — widely considered a political slogan in support of Pakistan.

The phrase is often used by Indian authorities and media to label someone “anti-national” or “traitorous,” and has frequently been used to incite or justify violence against Muslims in India.

Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara initially repeated the claim, saying that it may have provoked the lynching. 

His statement drew backlash for endorsing what many believe to be a fabricated pretext. 

The next day, he walked back his comments, stating, “That was not my statement; I only repeated what the accused told police. I have corrected it and will provide more details after the investigation.”

The killing comes amid a sharp rise in anti-Muslim hate speech and violence across India, especially after a deadly attack in Pahalgam in the disputed region of Kashmir. 

Hindu extremist groups have used the Kashmir attack to whip up nationalist sentiment, leading to assaults on Muslim students, vendors, and laborers in several cities.

In Mangaluru, the killing has sparked outrage among civil society groups and political leaders, who say the false Pakistan slogan was used as a cover to justify a hate crime.

“The assertion that Ashraf shouted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ is a malicious fabrication by the Sangh Parivar,” said Muneer Kattipalla, local secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), referring to the Hindu nationalist network that includes the RSS, Bajrang Dal, and BJP. 

“This lie is a deliberate attempt to legitimize mob violence.”

Suhaib C.T., former state president of the Solidarity Movement, condemned the killing on social media. 

“A Muslim man was murdered simply for drinking water,” he wrote. 

“This country has normalized lynching under the excuse of nationalism. The media and government share responsibility for this tragedy.”

Despite the arrests, Hindu extremist groups have launched protests defending the attackers, claiming they were “provoked” — a claim police have found no evidence to support.

Ashraf was buried in his hometown of Kottakkal on April 30. 

His family, community members, and rights activists are demanding full accountability and warning that impunity for such hate crimes is fueling a broader campaign of religious persecution in India.