On October 13, in one of the most violent attacks on Hindus during Navratri, 22-year-old Gopal Mishra was brutally murdered by an Islamist mob in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. Mishra was not alone in facing the horrific assault; accompanying him was Sudhakar Tiwari, who miraculously survived despite sustaining severe injuries. Currently recovering in the hospital, Tiwari has suffered severe head trauma and can barely speak due to the intensity of his wounds.
In a video shared by NeoPolitico, a media platform, Tiwari is seen providing a brief account of the day’s tragic events. Struggling to articulate his pain, he states, “People from the Mosque attacked us.” In the background, someone is heard cautioning, “Bhaiya, video mat banaiye” (Brother, don’t make a video). Tiwari then tries to recall the horrific moments: “I do not remember much as they attacked us. I sustained injuries on my head and fell unconscious. The police brought me here.”
Mishra and Tiwari had been participating in a Maa Durga Visarjan procession when the violence erupted. The procession, which featured religious music, attempted to pass by a local mosque. At that point, stones were hurled at the procession, some of which struck and desecrated the murti of Maa Durga. The attack on the murti angered the peaceful crowd, leading to a retaliation by the Hindus. In the ensuing chaos, Mishra climbed onto the roof of Abdul Hamid’s house and replaced an already hoisted green flag with a saffron one, while chants of “Jai Maa Durga” and “Jai Hanuman” filled the air.
What followed was even more horrifying. Mishra was dragged into a house by the Islamists, who locked him inside and subjected him to gruesome torture. They used pliers to pull out his nails, slashed his neck with a knife, and fired over 15 rounds at him. After killing him, the mob did not stop; they continued their onslaught by pelting stones at his lifeless body, an act that displayed a deep hatred towards the Hindu community.
Abhishek, a participant in the procession, recounted the series of events: “The procession reached in front of Abdul Hamid’s house in Maharajganj. Abdul’s family members objected to the music and cut the DJ’s wire, breaking it. Soon, more people joined them, and they began shouting slogans against Hinduism.” He further recalled, “Then, a voice came from inside a house—’Catch ****’. They pulled Rajan and Krishna, who were with us, inside the house. Ram Gopal ran the other way and jumped onto a roof. There was a flag there. He broke it and started waving a saffron flag.”
Abhishek continued with a chilling detail: “While Ramgopal was waving the flag, some people came out from the house and dragged him inside. They stabbed him and then shot him.”
As news of Gopal Mishra’s death spread, his sister Preeti, who lives in Lucknow, rushed to Bahraich. Grieving and in disbelief, she said, “They killed my brother like an animal. They slit his throat, pulled out his toenails. His entire body was riddled with bullets, and there were several knife wounds on his stomach. They shot him 15 times.”
Further insights emerged from the area after the attack. One of the neighbouring houses belongs to Pappu, whose daughter, Neha, shared her own harrowing experience with Dainik Bhaskar. “On the evening of the 13th, around 20-25 people entered into our house. They rushed up to the roof. Ramgopal was among them. He jumped from our roof onto Abdul’s roof, removed the flag, and began waving a saffron flag.”
Neha continued, “While Ramgopal was waving the flag, three people from Abdul’s house came up and dragged him down. They shot him right there.”
Neha’s father, Pappu, provided further context, revealing that Abdul’s eldest son, Pintu, had a criminal history and was a known history-sheeter. “A gangster act has been filed against him,” Pappu said, adding that Pintu and his family had fled to Nepal after the violence.
While Gopal Mishra tragically lost his life, Sudhakar Tiwari remains under medical care and is now out of danger. The loss of Mishra is particularly devastating for his family. He was the youngest of three brothers; his two elder brothers had already passed away—one from suicide and the other from drowning. Gopal was the last remaining hope for his family, and now, he too is gone.
