West Bengal: Muslim mob brutally thrashes Hindu man for not paying chanda for Muharram, hits him severely on the head, Hindus block roads in protest

On Friday (4th July), a Muslim mob brutally thrashed a Hindu e-rickshaw driver for not paying chanda (donation) ahead of Muharram. The incident occurred in Sainthia town in Birbhum district of West Bengal.

A Hindu man named Bedan Ghosh informed that the victim was beaten by 8-10 youths for not paying chanda for Muharram. The victim had made a donation of ₹50 once on Thursday (3rd July) and refused to pay twice.

“While others beat him, one of the youths hit his head with a boulder. I do not know the status of the patient. He was admitted to a hospital,” Ghosh added.

“It has been 1 hour since that incident, but the police have not arrested the perpetrators. We have now blocked this road in protest. The culprits need to be punished,” he added.

The victim’s father Tamal Ghosh stated, “My son had gone there to drop off passengers. He had paid chanda the previous day. Once he reached there today, they demanded chanda from him again. He tried to tell them that his business for the day had just started but they did not listen. I can’t explain how brutally they thrashed my son. He was rescued by some locals.”

“What is the administration doing? They (Muslims) are committing atrocities against us repeatedly,” he asked.

Bedan Ghosh narrated how Muslim youths in Sainthia had been harassing Hindus for Muharram donations. “A group of 8-10 youths caught hold of me on Thursday (3rd July) when I went to drop my son at the school. They demanded chanda from them. They insisted that I pay the money to them then and there.”

Ghosh was threatened with physical harm. He assured them that he would return to pay chanda after dropping his son to school. He later chose a different route to his home so as to avoid confrontation with the Muslim youths.

Following the attack on the Hindu victim, local Hindus staged a protest and set up a blockade in the middle of the road, demanding strict action against the Muslim perpetrators.

News