Muslim passenger assaulted on train in India
Man says attackers targeted his beard and skullcap, raising fresh concerns over anti-Muslim violence in India
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A 32-year-old Muslim man was assaulted aboard a long-distance train in southern India, in what he alleges was a targeted attack based on his religious identity.
The survivor, Imran Babu Sayyed from Maharashtra state, said he was beaten by a group of five men on Feb. 9 while traveling on the Sainagar Shirdi–Kakinada Port Express near Hafizpet railway station in Hyderabad, a major technology and transport hub in the southern state of Telangana.
According to Sayyed, the men began targeting him after noticing his beard and skullcap — visible markers of Muslim identity in South Asia.
He said his beard was pulled, his skullcap was thrown to the floor and he was repeatedly punched, leaving him bleeding from the mouth. His companion was also allegedly assaulted when he tried to intervene, and his mobile phone was reportedly snatched.
A video recorded inside the train and widely circulated on social media shows Sayyed visibly distressed as he recounts the attack to police officers present in the carriage.
“He just picked me up and went to hit me,” Sayyed can be heard telling officers in the footage. “They targeted my cap and beard. This was done only because of who we are.”
Sayyed said the violence erupted after railway personnel were allegedly beating another passenger who was traveling without a ticket in an air-conditioned coach. He and others attempted to intervene, after which he claims he became the focus of the assault.
India has witnessed a rise in reported incidents of anti-Muslim violence and harassment over the past decade, particularly under the rule of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Human rights advocates have documented cases in which visible expressions of Muslim identity — including skullcaps, beards and traditional attire — have triggered intimidation or mob attacks.
While authorities often describe such episodes as isolated disputes, civil liberties groups argue they reflect a broader climate of religious polarization. Muslims make up about 14% of India’s 1.4 billion people but have increasingly reported social and political marginalization.
Sayyed said he is filing a formal complaint with railway police in Hyderabad. It was not immediately clear whether arrests had been made.
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