Muslim youth beaten, forced to chant Hindu slogans in India
Police say incident involved assault, intimidation and extortion; video of attack circulated on social media
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Muslim man was assaulted, humiliated, and forced to chant religious slogans by a group of men in India’s Uttar Pradesh state, police said, adding that the main accused has been arrested and further arrests are expected.
According to police and the First Information Report (FIR), the incident took place on the evening of March 28 in the Cantonment police station area of Bareilly district. The victim, identified as Shoaib, who works in Dubai, was reportedly stopped in a public place by a group of men, beaten, verbally abused, and forced to chant Hindutva slogans.
Police said the attackers recorded the assault and circulated the video on social media, where it later went viral. In the video, members of the group can be heard accusing the victim of being involved in so-called “Love Jihad,” a term used by Hindu nationalist groups to allege Muslim men target Hindu women for conversion through marriage.
The main accused, identified as Rishabh Thakur, was arrested on March 29 near Kathpula bridge after police received a tip-off. Authorities said Thakur was already barred from entering the district under a previous externment order in another extortion-related case, leading to additional charges under the Uttar Pradesh Goonda Act for violating the ban.
Police said the accused not only assaulted the victim but also extorted money from him. The victim alleged that ₹7,000 ($74.91) in cash was taken from him and an additional ₹2,000 ($21.40) was transferred online under duress. Police said ₹3,300 ($32.10) in cash and a mobile phone were recovered from the accused.
A separate complaint was initially filed by the father of a local woman, alleging abusive behavior by the accused, but he later distanced himself from the case, saying the matter had been resolved and that his family did not know the accused.
Police have registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to assault, criminal intimidation, and extortion. Officials said the investigation is ongoing and efforts are underway to identify and arrest other individuals involved in the assault.
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