Brutal Attack on Only Muslim Home in Hindu Locality for Refusing to Chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’

A 12 year old Muslim boy and his uncle say a mob beat them brutally and threw stones at their house after the boy refused to chant “Jai Shri Ram” during a Hindu awakening event. The attack happened on the night of September 21 in the Chowk area of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, near the Badi Kali temple.

The victims’ family is the only Muslim family among 1,000 to 1,200 Hindu families in the area. Mr. Mohammad Sufiyan, a 33 year old businessman, and his nephew both suffered serious head injuries that night. Doctors had to give Mr. Sufiyan eight stitches on his head.

Mr. Sufiyan said his 12 year old nephew went out that night to buy tea leaves and sugar for the home. Some Hindu youths from the neighborhood, who knew him, stopped him on the way. They first asked him to bring them a cigarette. When he refused, they pressured him to chant “Jai Shri Ram.” He refused again, so they slapped him and struck his head with an iron bangle.

The boy ran home bleeding. A mob of nearly 200 to 300 people then began throwing stones at the house and at a nearby mosque. Mr. Sufiyan’s sister, who was on the veranda, was also hurt by the stones. Mr. Sufiyan rushed home when he heard the news. The mob surrounded him, threw him to the ground, and kicked him, causing serious injuries.

Based on Mr. Sufiyan’s complaint, Chowk police station filed a case against five named men, Mr. Ashu, Mr. Bikash, Mr. Ashish, Mr. Anand, and Mr. Mohit, along with 200 to 300 unidentified people. Police charged them under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita covering rioting, assault, criminal intimidation, and attack.

The family alleges that police applied weak and lenient charges to protect the accused, even though they say this was a clear attempt to beat someone to death. They say the accused have moved around freely since the attack, and police have arrested no one. Instead, they claim police keep calling the injured Mr. Sufiyan back to the station to record his statement.

The family says they had a peaceful relationship with their many Hindu neighbors for years. However, they say some outsiders recently began claiming that an old mosque run by the family since 1920 was built on temple land. Mr. Sufiyan believes the attack may be linked to this old resentment.

Speaking with visible fear, Mr. Sufiyan said the physical injuries hurt less than watching people he grew up with turn into enemies overnight. He said none of the neighbors he knew came forward to help during the attack.

On September 24, a delegation from the All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) met the victim’s family. They demanded a fair investigation, punishment for the guilty, and adequate security for the family. Mr. Sufiyan, who sells incense sticks and perfume for a living, currently cannot work because of his injuries and fear, leaving his livelihood uncertain as well.