India: Hindu youth chopped into pieces by Muslim girlfriend’s family

Amit Kumar, an 18-year-old Hindu youth and resident of Sansariya village in West Champaran district, Bihar, was brutally murdered by family members of his Muslim girlfriend for pursuing a romantic relationship with the girl. His dismembered remains were discovered near the Chandrawat River, with the lower part of his body still missing. Amit, son of Lalan Mahato, had been missing for 65 days, since March 27, 2025. On May 31, police recovered parts of Amit’s skeleton near Bagahi village, under the jurisdiction of Bairiya police station. His skull was found the following morning. Identification was made through his clothing and belt, after dogs dragged his remains from a canal.

Amit’s mother and sister allege that he was lured from home by Rajju, son of Phool Mohammad, along with Raju’s sister, Nazia Khatoon, and their mother. Amit and Raju had studied together from sixth to eighth grade, leading to a “close friendship” and frequent visits between each other’s homes.

The family also claims that Phool Mohammad had previously visited their home, expressing disapproval of Amit’s association with his daughter and issuing veiled threats. Despite reporting these concerns to the police, the family alleges that no action was taken.

The family, hence, accuses the police of negligence, stating that despite providing call detail records and other evidence, the authorities failed to act promptly, which is a recurring issue in many parts of India when it comes to Hindu victims, especially when the accused are from the minority community.

However, now that the brutal killing of the Hindu youth had already come to the fore and the administration couldn’t do much to safeguard the accused, Phool and Raju have been arrested, and two others are in custody for questioning. Some say that Phool Muhammad and Raju Miyan lured Amit to a secluded area, held him captive for a month, and then brutally beheaded him and chopped his body into pieces to get rid of evidence. Both have reportedly confessed to the crime during police interrogation.

This case reignites the discussion of the troubling double standard persisting in India when it comes to interfaith relationships between Muslims and Hindus. Muslim men frequently enter into relationships or marriages with Hindu women, often after converting them to Islam, actions framed as expressions of love and upheld under the banner of secularism. These unions, although legally permitted, are sometimes supported by sections of society and the media as a personal choice and a matter of religious freedom. However, when the dynamic is reversed and a Hindu boy falls in love with a Muslim girl, the immediate reaction from her family is violent and often brutal. Numerous cases have emerged where the girl’s family has murdered Hindu men in the name of religion. What’s most alarming is the lack of swift legal action and the silence of so-called secular voices, as well as the perpetrators’ absolute disregard for the law and the judiciary.

One of the most shocking and widely covered cases was that of Delhi-based photographer Ankit Saxena, who was hacked to death by his Muslim girlfriend’s family. Ankit was attacked and ambushed by the girl’s father, mother, uncle, and younger brother, who was also a minor, which demonstrates again that juveniles of such backgrounds are just as dangerous for society as the adults are. Eyewitnesses reported that Ankit was held down while one of the assailants slit his throat with a knife in the middle of the street in West Delhi in broad daylight. What made this case particularly disturbing was the sheer brazenness of the murder, carried out in public while Ankit pleaded for his life.

18-year-old Rahul Rajput from Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar was brutally beaten by five men outside his home in October 2020. The attackers were identified as the relatives of a Muslim girl Rahul was dating.

34-year-old man Ravi Nimbargi from Bijapur district, Karnataka, went missing in September 2021. Days later, his body was found dumped in a well. Investigation revealed that Ravi was in a relationship with a Muslim woman, which her family opposed. The girl’s brother and maternal uncle were arrested for the murder. Reports indicated that Ravi had faced threats earlier, but continued to meet the woman.

25-year-old Nagaraju, a Dalit man, was killed on a busy road in Saroornagar, Hyderabad. He had married a Muslim woman named Sultana. Her family, particularly her brother, vehemently opposed the relationship. While the couple was riding a two-wheeler, they were stopped by her brother and a relative, who pulled Nagaraju off the bike and brutally attacked him with an iron rod and a knife. Bystanders watched in horror as Nagaraju was stabbed multiple times in full public view. Videos of the killing went viral as yet another case of Hindu men being slain for marrying a Muslim girl, and none of the secularist voices could even spare a whimper.