A private birthday celebration at a cafe in Bareilly turned into a scene of violence and communal tension on Saturday evening after a group of around 25 right-wing activists, including a self-proclaimed cow vigilante, forcibly entered the venue and assaulted guests. The mob raised slogans of 'love jihad' to object to the presence of two Muslim students at the party hosted by a 20-year-old female nursing student.
Chaos and Assault at a Private Gathering
The incident occurred on Saturday evening when the first-year nursing student, a resident of Budaun currently staying in a local hostel, organized a small birthday gathering. The party consisted of nine people, including five women. According to the victim, the activists gate-crashed the event and began thrashing her male friends. One of the assaulted guests suffered fractures in the attack. A video capturing the men beating guests at the party later went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage.
The nursing student vehemently denied the allegations made by the intruders, stating that the claims of 'love jihad' were completely baseless. "They gate-crashed and assaulted my friends. One of them suffered fractures," she said. The activists created a major ruckus, disrupting the peaceful celebration based on unfounded suspicions.
Police Response and Subsequent Backlash
In a move that drew severe criticism, the police's initial response was seen as skewed against the victims. The police fined the two Muslim students and a cafe staff member for "breach of peace," while taking no immediate action against the group that initiated the violence and disruption. It was only after significant social media outrage that the police formally took note of the "assault and harassment by the right-wing activists."
Bareilly SP (City) Manush Pareek addressed the delayed action, stating, "We've identified those seen attacking inside the cafe, and an FIR has been registered." The First Information Report includes charges under BNS sections 333 (house trespass), 115-2 (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult), 351 (criminal intimidation), and 191 (rioting). The police have also sought an explanation from the Station House Officer (SHO) for the failure to act against the perpetrators and have initiated a departmental inquiry against him. The police confirmed that their investigation found "claims of love jihad were found to be untrue."
Fallout and Denials from Right-Wing Group
Following the incident and the ensuing controversy, the local unit of the right-wing group involved sought to distance itself from the main accused. Ashish Sharma, the 'gau raksha pramukh' (cow protection chief) of the group's Bareilly unit, claimed that the self-proclaimed vigilante, Thakur, was no longer part of their organization. Sharma also alleged that members of his group "were not part of the assault."
The case highlights recurring concerns about vigilante actions, false communal narratives, and police responsiveness. The departmental inquiry against the SHO and the registration of the FIR mark a corrective step, but the incident has left the victims traumatized and raised questions about safety and justice in the city of Bareilly.
