A viral video of the incident sparks outrage and concerns about vigilante actions targeting Muslims under unverified allegations
NEW DELHI — Hindu groups publicly humiliated and paraded two Muslim youths through the streets of Sanjauli locality in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla over the weekend after a complaint involving a minor girl triggered allegations of “love jihad” in the area.
Videos of the June 6 incident have since spread widely on social media. They show the two Muslims being marched through a busy market as a crowd watches.
In the viral video, the two are seen surrounded and escorted by hundreds of people raising Islamophobic and anti-Muslim slogans.
The video has sparked outrage and concerns about vigilante actions targeting Muslims under the pretext of combating “love jihad” and public humiliation over unverified allegations.
“Love jihad” is a conspiracy theory promoted by several right-wing Hindutva organisations to target Muslims, claiming that they lure Hindu women into relationships and eventually to religious conversion.
The controversy began after the family of a 16-year-old girl lodged a complaint against a 22-year-old tailor, Ubaid, who runs a shop in Sanjauli. According to police, the complaint alleged that he had called the girl to his shop and behaved inappropriately with her.
A case was subsequently registered under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Ubaid was arrested.
However, police later confirmed that the two Muslim men who were publicly paraded through the locality were not named in the complaint and had no connection to the allegations made by the girl or her family.
The men, both residents of Uttar Pradesh, were picked up from a separate shop by members of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, a group associated with the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). Videos circulating online appear to show them being forced through public streets while onlookers watched.
Reports from the area also alleged that CCTV cameras installed at the men’s workplace were damaged during the incident.
The incident has drawn particular attention because those targeted by the crowd were unrelated to the original criminal complaint.
Following the incident, police arrested two leaders of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, identified as co-convenors Madan Thakur and Vijay Sharma.
The arrests triggered fresh protests on June 7, when supporters of the organisation reportedly blocked the Sanjauli-Shimla Road and demanded the release of the two. During the protest, the original complainant, a minor girl, was also brought before supporters who called for their release.
Police later warned that strict action would be taken against individuals spreading misinformation about the case.
