25 Muslims Killed in India in Anti Muslim Hate Crimes Between May and July, Report Says

Twenty five Muslims were killed in India between May and July 2026 in incidents described as anti Muslim hate crimes, including 15 deaths allegedly involving state actors and 10 attributed to Hindu extremist groups, according to the South Asia Justice Campaign’s India Persecution Tracker.

The latest figures bring the number of Muslims killed in such incidents during the first seven months of 2026 to 44. The tracker said 19 of those deaths were allegedly caused by state actors, while 25 were attributed to Hindutva assailants.

The report warned that 2026 could become the deadliest year for anti Muslim killings since the tracker began documenting such cases in 2022.

According to the report, state authorities continued to use a range of coercive measures against Muslims, including alleged custodial killings, staged police encounters, mass detentions, demolitions of homes and places of worship, and the expulsion of families across the border into Bangladesh.

The tracker identified Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Kashmir and West Bengal as areas where such actions were particularly prominent.

It also claimed that at least 23 Muslim religious structures were demolished across six states in less than two months. More than 1,000 Muslim homes, businesses and religious structures were reportedly demolished during at least 21 separate operations across eight states.

The report said the total number of Muslim homes, businesses and religious structures demolished in India during 2026 had crossed 3,000.

It also criticised the handling of demolition cases by the judiciary, claiming that the Supreme Court declined to enforce safeguards it had previously laid down and instead sent contempt petitions to the respective High Courts.

In Kashmir, the tracker alleged that security forces detained more than 2,500 people within 48 hours of a militant attack in July. It also reported that the homes of two families were demolished using explosives.

The report further alleged that Muslims were disproportionately targeted in police arrests during student protests in at least six states.

Among the 25 Muslims reportedly killed between May and July were an 11 year old girl and a 16 year old boy. The tracker said 15 people were killed by police or security personnel, while 10 were killed by Hindu extremist actors in incidents it classified as religiously motivated violence.

The report also raised concerns about statements by senior political leaders. It cited warnings from UN Special Rapporteurs that political rhetoric surrounding alleged infiltrators could blur the distinction between Indian Muslim citizens and foreign nationals and potentially contribute to discrimination.

The tracker also highlighted a case in which a Muslim judge sentenced 14 cow vigilantes to life imprisonment for a lynching. According to the report, the judge later required police protection after receiving threats from Hindu extremists.

West Bengal and allegations of anti Muslim targeting

West Bengal received particular attention in the report following the BJP’s first election victory in the state.

The tracker alleged that attacks on mosques, Muslim owned businesses and settlements of Muslim hawkers followed the change in government. It said at least two people were killed, including one person who allegedly died while trying to protect a mosque.

The report also alleged that the new government introduced several measures affecting Muslims, including citizenship checks linked to welfare benefits, changes to reservation policies and a reduction in funding for minority affairs and madrasas.

It claimed that the minority affairs and madrasa budget was reduced by 62 percent and that restrictions were introduced on cattle slaughter.

The tracker further alleged that police were instructed to hand over detained people accused of being infiltrators to border forces without producing them before a court. The government reportedly claimed that 4,800 people had been deported during its first month in office.

According to the report, 77 Muslim communities were removed from the backward classes reservation list, while madrasas were placed under surveillance.

The report also linked the targeting of Bengali speaking Muslims to voter roll deletions and expulsions under the Special Intensive Revision process.

It alleged that cattle slaughter restrictions were introduced shortly before Eid al Adha. The report also claimed that 13 of 14 people arrested during protests over the NEET paper leak were Muslims and that they were booked under a new preventive detention law.

Assam and citizenship concerns

The tracker said alleged pushback operations continued in Assam, where the Chief Minister has claimed that 1,679 people were sent back over a two year period.

The report cited Human Rights Watch documentation alleging that Indian forces had taken families, including children, through gaps in the border fence at night.

It also raised concerns about official rhetoric surrounding alleged infiltrators. According to the report, UN Special Rapporteurs warned that the language of “Detect, Delete and Deport” could conflate Indian Muslim citizens with foreign nationals and potentially encourage discrimination.

Legal and judicial concerns

The report said legal measures affecting Muslim rights had also expanded.

It cited laws in Assam and Madhya Pradesh concerning Uniform Civil Codes, which it said could override aspects of Muslim personal law. It also referred to a parliamentary measure under which insulting the national song Vande Mataram could attract a prison sentence of up to three years.

The tracker highlighted a High Court ruling concerning the centuries old Kamal Maula Mosque, which it said was declared a Hindu temple and where Friday prayers were subsequently stopped.

It also pointed to several court decisions involving older cases of alleged violence against Muslims. These included the acquittal of all 22 accused in a 2005 case involving an alleged staged encounter, 21 of whom were police officers, and the acquittal of five men accused of burning a Muslim man alive during the 2002 violence.

The report said newer cases also raised concerns about accountability, citing alleged custodial deaths recorded as accidents, investigations focusing on victims and attempts to protect influential accused persons.

It further alleged that public calls for the genocide of Muslims made by Hindu extremists at a gathering near Delhi did not result in police action.

The South Asia Justice Campaign also criticised the Union government’s decision to block a legislative effort in Karnataka aimed at strengthening laws against hate speech.

The organisation said international concern over India’s human rights record was growing, pointing to concerns raised by UN bodies and experts over the treatment of minorities, voter roll deletions and the handling of protests.

The India Persecution Tracker is published by the South Asia Justice Campaign, which describes itself as a non partisan human rights movement.