Indian Police Drag Muslim Student by Hair, Brutalise Him in Custody, Ask: ‘You’re Muslim. Why Are You Protesting?’

Sahil Khan, a 20-year-old Muslim student activist with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), was allegedly detained, physically assaulted, and threatened with death by Guwahati police on October 13. The incident occurred just moments after he participated in the ‘Women’s Freedom March’ near Nehru Park, a protest organized by the Women Against Violence Collective following recent sexual violence cases in the city.

According to Sahil, a police vehicle intercepted him and his friends about 200 meters from the rally site. Despite presenting valid scooter documents, officers forcibly dragged him into the vehicle by his hair without providing any official reason for his detention.

Inside the vehicle and subsequently at the Panbazar Police Station, where he was taken through the back door, Mr. Sahil was subjected to severe physical abuse and Islamophobic slurs. He recounted that officers repeatedly called him derogatory names, asked why a Muslim was participating in the protest, and threatened him with murder and forced disappearance.

The police initially denied holding Sahil when his friends and colleagues inquired at the station. However, following immediate pressure and protests by demonstrators who gathered on the premises, authorities admitted to his detention and ultimately released him at around 9:00 PM.

Monirul Khan, an eyewitness, confirmed the sequence of events, while SFI State Joint Secretary Utpala Das condemned the high-handed, religiously motivated action. Das stated that legal recourse will be pursued to defend fundamental rights, noting that the police offered shifting explanations for the targeting and verbal abuse.