In yet another alarming incident, an Islamist mob took to the streets of Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, chanting slogans of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda,’ resulting in a minor Hindu boy narrowly escaping death. According to information gathered by Organiser, the root of this violent attack stemmed from a conversation on a social media platform between a Hindu and a Muslim boy.
The mob, which terrorised the streets and created a ruckus, was notably led by Congress leader Abdul Moeed. Following complaints from the mob, the police registered an FIR against minor Hindu boy. However, his photos and videos have been circulating on social media, with claims labelling him a ‘gustakh‘ (blasphemer). In the wake of the public outrage over the exposure of the minor’s identity and the vandalism caused by the mob, an FIR was also filed against 1,000 Muslims involved in the October 7 unrest.
What led to the incident?
Reports indicate that the issue began roughly 10 days earlier, when two Muslim women, wearing burqas, performed a puja at the Kalikunda Mata temple in Bahraich. This unusual occurrence sparked widespread discussion on social media. As part of these conversations, an argument arose between two students—one Hindu, one Muslim. The family of the Hindu student claimed that the Muslim boy had used abusive language but cleverly deleted his comments afterwards.
According to the Hindu boy’s uncle, who spoke to OpIndia, the Muslim boy sent the Hindu boy a video featuring Salman Azhari, now jailed and notorious for making inflammatory remarks. In the video, Azhari is heard saying, “You may belong to any religion—Hindu, Christian, or any other—we don’t talk about the character of Ram, Krishna, Guru Nanak, or anyone else. So, who are you, a mere dog, to keep barking about our Muhammad? Listen, whoever you may be, Hindu or Christian, don’t mess with our Nabi” (Mere Nabi se chhed chad mat karo).
After watching the video, the Hindu boy made a comment about Prophet Muhammad and told the Muslim boy, “I will see you.. meet me at the school tomorrow”, and soon, this conversation went viral on social media. The Muslim student posted the chat as his status and encouraged others to do the same, revealing the Hindu boy’s identity and calling for action against him.
The Muslim boy also abused Hindu gods, and the boy cleverly deleted his comments before posting the screenshot as his status, which is now viral.
The aftermath
The Hindu family initially believed that the situation had been resolved. However, this proved to be a misconception. At around 11 a.m. on October 8, a group from the Muslim community arrived at the Hindu boy’s home, forced him to apologise and recorded a video of the apology. Despite this, later that night, the situation took a more dangerous turn as a mob gathered and began causing chaos. The family’s jewellery shop was also under attack.
The terrified Hindu boy recounted how the mob was shouting the threatening slogan ‘Sar Tan Se Juda.’ He expressed his gratitude towards the police, stating that had they not intervened, the entire Sarafa Bazaar would have been set ablaze.
What says the FIRs?
A First Information Report (FIR No: 489/2024) was lodged at the Nanpara police station on October 7, 2024, around 9 p.m. The complaint was filed by Rahmat Ali, who accused a minor Hindu boy of making indecent and offensive remarks about Prophet Muhammad on Instagram, an act he claimed amounted to blasphemy. In his complaint, Ali demanded the boy’s immediate arrest. Acting on this FIR, the police registered a case against the minor under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections 298, 299, 302, 352, and 353.
A second FIR filed in response to mob violence
Interestingly, another FIR (No: 492/2024) was filed by the Uttar Pradesh police on October 8, 2024, at around 9 p.m., detailing the events that followed the initial complaint. According to this FIR, filed by investigating officer Ram Sudhar Yadav, the police were handling the case involving the alleged blasphemous comments by the minor when a large Muslim mob, outraged by the incident, began gathering in significant numbers outside the boy’s home.
The crowd, which initially formed near a local community health centre, quickly swelled to over 1,000 people. They marched to the residence of the minor boy, where they not only hurled abuses at the family but also chanted the highly provocative slogan “Sar Tan Se Juda,” threatening violence. When Officer Yadav arrived at the scene to control the situation, the mob reportedly turned on him as well, verbally assaulting him. Yadav subsequently filed a complaint requesting legal action be taken against the violent crowd.
Based on Yadav’s complaint, over 1,000 individuals from the mob have been charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including sections 189(2), 126(2), 132, 285, 352, and 351(3). Additionally, section 7 of the CLA (Criminal Law Amendment) Act has also been invoked in the case, as the mob’s actions constituted a severe disruption of law and order.
Who led the mob?
According to the family, two key individuals played significant roles in mobilising the violent mob: Mohsin, a local salon owner, and Naved, a jeweller from the same area. Both are alleged to have been instrumental in inciting the crowd.
It is also important to note that the mob was reportedly led by Congress party leader and former chairman Abdul Moeed. Alongside these three, a Muslim lawyer and a local councillor were seen actively attempting to fuel the chaos. The mob’s primary target appeared to be a jewelry shop, predominantly owned by members of the Soni and Rastogi communities.
Police action
Currently, the minor has been served a notice but remains at home, according to Police Station in-charge Yadav. The authorities are in the process of identifying the individuals involved in the violence through video evidence, and further action is expected as investigations continue.
Rise in ‘Sar tan se Juda’ mobs
The phenomenon of mobs chanting “Sar Tan Se Juda” and taking to the streets in India has become alarmingly frequent, resembling similar occurrences in Pakistan. These incidents, marked by violent rhetoric and calls for beheading, have sparked widespread concern about the rising intolerance in the country.
A recent example occurred on October 5, 2024, in Ghaziabad, where tensions escalated as Islamists flooded the streets, enraged by comments made by Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, the chief priest of Dasna Temple. The mob, furious over Yati’s remarks, chanted “Sar Tan Se Juda” slogans, threatening his life. The controversy stemmed from a public event held on September 29 at Hindi Bhavan in Lohia Nagar, where Yati’s speech triggered outrage after a video of it went viral on X (formerly Twitter). The Islamists accused him of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad, a charge that had been brought against the Hindu priest multiple times in the past.
Adding fuel to the fire was a social media campaign led by Mohammad Zubair, co-founder of the far-left portal Alt News. Zubair, who claims to be a fact-checker, posted a tweet that further stoked the outrage. In his tweet, Zubair alleged that Yati had incited hatred and even suggested that effigies representing the Islamic prophet should be burned. This tweet went viral, amplifying the anger and leading to the mob protests.
Need for a solution
The repeated instances of mobs taking to the streets and demanding brutal punishments, such as beheading, raise a crucial question: how can street and mob justice be allowed to thrive in Bharat? This disturbing trend of vigilante justice is a serious threat to law and order. The absence of immediate and decisive action against such acts not only emboldens those engaging in this behaviour but also undermines the judicial system. A solution is urgently needed to address this growing menace.
