Patna: A Muslim youth was brutally assaulted by a Hindutva mob in Bihar’s Samastipur district after being falsely accused of theft, deepening fear among Indian Muslims amid a disturbing series of violent incidents driven by religious bias.

According to Beyond the Time News, the incident occurred in Fulhara village, under the Kalyanpur police station area, where the victim identified as Mohammad Dawood was tied to an electric pole and savagely beaten by villagers late at night. Dawood, a resident of Fulbaria village in Darbhanga district, had arrived in the village in a four-wheeler. Others travelling with him reportedly fled the scene before the assault.

The mob after assaulting Dawood, informed the police, claiming they had caught a thief. Dawood, who suffered serious injuries, was taken to the police station for questioning. However, the police only recovered a mobile phone and the vehicle’s keys from him, suggesting no evidence of theft.

Rights activists and local residents have expressed growing concern, pointing out that the assault fits a disturbing pattern seen in recent months, where Muslim men are targeted on mere suspicion.

The attack in Samastipur follows a similar incident in December 2025, when Athar Hussain, a 35-year-old man from Bihar’s Nawada district, was beaten to death by a Hindu mob. Before his death, Athar told doctors that his attackers questioned him about his religion before assaulting him because he was Muslim.

Muslim organisations said the incidents point to a serious failure of the state to protect minorities. “Indian Muslims are living in fear. Mobs are acting as judge and executioner. The law must prevail, not the crowd,” said a community leader in Bihar.