Muslim youth assaulted by mob in India
Assault in Bihar follows fatal lynching weeks earlier, as rights groups warn of pattern where suspicion and identity trigger mob justice
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Muslim youth was severely beaten by a mob in eastern India’s Bihar, renewing concerns over vigilante violence and the vulnerability of minorities amid recurring incidents driven by suspicion and religious identity.
The attack took place in Fulhara village in Samastipur district, where the victim, Mohammad Dawood, was tied to an electric pole and assaulted after villagers accused him of theft. Dawood, who had arrived late at night in a vehicle with others who reportedly fled the scene, sustained serious injuries before police intervened.
Local police said they were alerted after villagers claimed to have caught a suspected thief. Dawood was taken to a police station for questioning, where officers said they recovered only a mobile phone and the vehicle’s keys. No stolen property was reported.
The incident has drawn attention because it mirrors a pattern seen in several parts of India, where mobs have assaulted individuals based on suspicion rather than evidence. Rights advocates say Muslim men have increasingly been subjected to such violence, often before any police inquiry takes place.
The Samastipur assault comes weeks after a fatal mob attack in Nawada district, also in Bihar. In that case, Athar Hussain, 35, died after being beaten by a group of men and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Bihar Sharif. Family members said Hussain told doctors that his attackers questioned him about his religion before assaulting him.
According to relatives, Hussain described being stripped, injured with sharp objects and burned with a heated iron. Police said the case is under investigation, but the killing intensified scrutiny of law enforcement responses to mob violence in the state.
Bihar is governed by a coalition led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party as a key partner. While state authorities deny bias, civil society groups say communal profiling and delayed accountability have allowed vigilante attacks to persist.
Analysts note that mob violence in India often follows rumors or allegations framed around crime, cattle theft or moral policing, with religious identity shaping who becomes a target. Such incidents have drawn repeated concern from rights organizations, which argue that mobs increasingly act as enforcers in place of formal institutions.
Police said investigations are ongoing in both cases and that action will be taken based on evidence. Families of the victims have demanded swift arrests and fair trials, warning that failure to hold perpetrators accountable risks normalizing crowd-led punishment.
The incidents add to a growing list of cases across India where suspicion, rather than due process, has resulted in serious harm or death—raising broader questions about rule of law, policing and minority safety in the world’s largest democracy.
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