Bhagalpur ‘I Love Muhammad’ poster row: Police act swiftly after OpIndia’s ground report, arrest prime accused Mohammad Iftekhal over violence targeting Hindus
Days after communal tensions erupted in Bhagalpur’s Habibpur area over a controversial “I Love Muhammad” poster, police have arrested the prime accused, identified as Mohammad Iftekhal alias Shekhu, son of Mohammad Qasim, a resident of Chamlichak under Habibpur police station.
The arrest was made under Habibpur Police Station Case No. 188/25, registered on October 22, 2025, under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code including 191(2)(3), 190, 126(2), 115(2), 109, 329(4), 324(4)(5), 299, 351(2)(3), and 352.
Earlier, Bhagalpur Police had confirmed the arrest of three individuals in connection with the violence that broke out on October 20–21 when a “special community poster” was forcibly pasted on a shop in the Station Road locality. According to the official police press note dated October 21, 2025, the poster had triggered violent clashes after members of the majority community objected to the provocative slogan being displayed without consent.
Following the initial incident, senior officers led by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Town) formed an investigation team comprising local station officers and Circle Inspectors to restore order. The team conducted raids, detained suspects for questioning, and confirmed that the unrest was fueled by attempts to communalize the area through religious messaging.
The Habibpur locality, having a significant Muslim majority, saw targeted violence against Hindu families and businesses, with several residents alleging intimidation and forced shutdowns. Hindu shopkeepers claimed they were coerced into closing their shops and raising religious slogans to avoid attacks.
Police have maintained an increased presence in the area, with patrolling and monitoring continuing to prevent further flare-ups. Officials stated that law and order are currently under control and that further arrests may follow as the probe progresses.
The Bhagalpur Police reiterated its commitment to maintaining peace, appealing to citizens not to fall for rumors or provocative messaging spread through social media.
OpIndia ground report from Bhagalpur
OpIndia, which visited the epicentre of the violence in Habibpur, uncovered the deeper human story behind the unrest, a story of isolation, fear, and relentless persecution faced by the one of the Hindu families left in a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood.
In its ground video report, OpIndia spoke to Gauri Devi, the matriarch of this embattled family. Her testimony painted a chilling picture of what it means to live as a Hindu minority in Habibpur.
“We’ve lived here for generations,” she said, standing before her half-built home scarred by fire. “But ever since 2013, we’ve been told again and again, sell your house and leave. They say this place is no longer for Hindus.”
Gauri Devi recounted how in 2022, her home was set ablaze with petrol while the family was away for Puja. Property worth nearly ₹9 lakh was destroyed. “They didn’t want us rebuilding,” she told OpIndia. “They demanded money Rs 10,000 or Rs 20,000 each, just to let us put up our walls. Even after paying, they kept attacking.”
Her daughter-in-law, visibly shaken, added, “During Kali Puja, they tore down our banner of Kali Maa and shouted that no Hindu festival would be allowed here. When we protested, they pelted stones at our home. My aunt’s teeth were broken.”
‘We live like prisoners’: Life in Habibpur’s shadow
The family’s home today resembles a fortified outpost, surrounded by CCTV cameras, iron gates, and reinforced walls. “We’ve turned our home into a fortress,” Gauri’s son told OpIndia. “Every night, we sleep light, one sound outside and our hearts race.”
He gestured towards a small underground chamber at the back of their home. “That’s where we hide if mobs gather,” he said. “It’s not a bunker of comfort, but one of survival.”
The family’s old eatery, once a symbol of communal coexistence, now remains shuttered. “They warned us, don’t sell food here again, or we’ll shoot you,” Gauri said softly. “Now even feeding people has become a crime for being Hindu.”
Habibpur is a dense warren of lanes dominated by mosques and mazars, where Islamic flags flutter from almost every rooftop. In this setting, Hindus homes, lit up with diyas during Diwali or decorated for Kali Puja, become an act of defiance.
“They mock us for celebrating our gods,” Gauri said. “When my grandchildren light crackers, they snatch them away and say, ‘You Hindus are becoming too bold.’ But this is our home. Why should we leave?”
This sense of siege deepened after the October 2025 “I Love Muhammad” poster incident. Following tensions that night, a crowd allegedly gathered and began pelting stones at their house. The family has since lived in constant fear, surrounded by symbols of faith, yet cut off from the freedom to practise their own.
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