Officials demolish around 60 Muslim owned homes in Chhattisgarh in targeted drive
Around sixty houses belonging to Muslims were demolished by officials over allegations of encroachment in Chhattisgarh’s Ambikapur town. The forest department carried out the bulldozer action, calling the houses illegal encroachments on forest land. However, residents claim that only Muslim settlements were demolished, while properties belonging to members of other communities remained untouched.
India’s Supreme Court recently banned the weaponization of demolitions as collective punishment against Muslims, declaring that any demolitions carried out without proper notice or legal permission amounts to contempt of court.
Muslim man dies in police custody in Uttar Pradesh, family claims police torture
A 35-year-old Muslim man, Irfan, died while he was taken under police custody in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal. The family and hundreds of locals protested Irfan’s death alleging foul play and police torture.
According to the family, Irfan, who had undergone an operation just a day before, was not allowed to take medicines when four policemen forcefully took him away. A local news channel also reported that the policeman left Irfan’s body unattended and fled from the area.
16-year-old Muslim girl brutally murdered in Haryana following months of harassment
In Haryana, a 16-year-old Muslim girl, Khushnuma, was brutally murdered by a Hindu man who had previously abducted her. The man, Pawan, forced his way into her home and stabbed her multiple times, fatally injuring her neck and mouth. The heinous crime is believed to be the culmination of months of harassment, during which Pawan had been pressuring Khushnuma to marry him.
The girl’s family disclosed that Pawan had abducted Khushnuma nearly nine months ago. Following the kidnapping, Khushnuma’s mother lodged a police complaint, leading to Pawan’s arrest and the girl’s recovery in April 2024. However, after being released from jail, Pawan escalated his threats and harassment.
