Muslim mob assaults a Hindu family including women and infant with sticks and sharp weapons for preventing tearing shop’s account book: Ground report from Gujarat’s Kheda

A Hindu family recently faced an attack in the GIDC area of Matar, in the Kheda district of Gujarat. On 7th June (Sunday), the incident transpired over a minor issue at their shop. Afterwards, a group of individuals instigated a fight, assaulted the family members and issued death threats. A victim named Arjun Solanki has filed a complaint, prompting the local police to register an FIR (First Information Report) against Reshmabanu Ferozsha Diwan, Razzaksha Ferozsha Diwan, Arifali Sabirali Sayed, Mustaksha Ferozsha Diwan and Nasirsha Zhakirsha Diwan. They have been booked under sections 189(2), 191, 190, 109(1), 115(2), 352 and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the police have commenced further proceedings. Four of the perpetrators have already been nabbed. OpIndia travelled to Matar, where the affected family detailed the entire occurrence and shared their ordeal. The victim family runs a small business This brutal incident befell the family of Popatbhai Thakabhai Parmar, who has been running a modest tea stall in Matar for the past several years. He mentioned that labourers from the GIDC area and local villagers frequently visit the shop for tea. Last Sunday, a highly intoxicated Muslim man entered the shop at approximately 8:00 pm. He stated that a friend was unwell and requested some sugar, to which Popatbhai replied, “The sugar is in the container next to the tea kettle. Please help yourself.” He took the sugar but subsequently returned to the cash counter and started ripping pages from the account ledger, apparently to pack the sugar. The shopkeeper attempted to stop him gently and said, “Please tell me what you need, and I will hand it to you, but don’t tear the account book like that.” જ્યારે સેક્યુલર મીડિયા મૌન હોય, ત્યારે માત્ર ઑપઇન્ડિયા બને છે હિંદુઓનો અવાજ!ખેડાના માતરમાં હિંદુ પરિવાર પર કટ્ટરપંથીઓના આખા ટોળાનો જીવલેણ હુમલો. વહુ-દીકરીઓને મારી, જમાઈનું માથું ફાડી નાખ્યું. ગરમાળા ગામના મુસ્લિમોની દાદાગીરી, તળાવ કિનારે આવેલી શંકાસ્પદ દરગાહ અને ડેમોગ્રાફી… pic.twitter.com/INWfP36zR9— ઑપઇન્ડિયા (@OpIndia_G) June 12, 2026 However, the man unleashed a torrent of vile insults directed at Popatbhai and his wife. The elderly shopkeeper requested him to halt the verbal abuse, but he responded by launching a physical attack along with a Muslim woman who was accompanying him. They ripped his clothes and forcibly dragged him away. Popatbhai’s wife tried to protect him, but she was also subjected to a severe beating. The pair then left, but the ordeal was far from over. Within a mere two to three minutes, a mob of approximately 10 to 12 Muslims, armed with sticks, clubs and various other weapons, stormed the shop. They immediately resumed the assault, and a Muslim woman held Popatbhai’s wife by the throat, covered her mouth with her hand and hit her repeatedly across the face. At that moment, their son-in-law appeared, and the bloodthirsty mob launched a life-threatening assault on him as well. Popatbhai’s wife begged, “Please spare our son-in-law. He has young children,” with folded hands, but the fanatics retorted, “No one will be spared. We will not leave anyone alive. If you escape today, we will finish you off wherever we find you next.” Popatbhai’s daughter also attempted to intervene and was mercilessly thrashed, tearing her lip. She was holding her infant child, who was heartlessly tossed high into the air by the perpetrators. Fortunately, the baby girl landed on a mattress in the shop and her life was saved. Meanwhile, a person from the mob brandished a sharp weapon and struck the son-in-law directly on the head. His skull was split open as blood gushed out, and he collapsed on the spot. The assailants then fled the scene. Popatbhai unveiled that they had been staying and running their business in the area for many years, which these Muslims could not bear. They intended to intimidate the family with these attacks to drive them away. Their goal is to remove Hindus from the entire area. Their son-in-law returned to the village after two days of treatment at a major hospital in Nadiad. He was critically injured and unable to speak properly. However, he confirmed that he had merely visited his father-in-law’s shop when he was struck with a sharp weapon, rendering him unconscious, and all the attackers were Muslims. A recurring pattern of attack on Hindus OpIndia succeeded in identifying a Hindu youth from Garmala village who had previously endured a similarly dangerous attack by the same hardliners a few months prior. He described how they targeted him during the Makar Sankranti festival in January. Muslims had unlawfully occupied plots and constructed houses on the land adjacent to his field. On the auspicious day, they climbed on their rooftops and hurled filthy insults in front of the Hindu women. They deliberately threw “Chinese manjha” (glass-coated kite string) into the fields owned by Hindus, posing a major threat to both livestock and humans. The Hindu youth requested, “Women and daughters present here. Please don’t use abusive language,” however, they aggressively responded, “We will do precisely that. Do whatever you can.” Someone from the group pulled out a large knife and stabbed the young man in his back over this trivial issue. The blade penetrated so deeply that it inflicted damage to his kidney. He narrowly escaped death after enduring months of treatment and significant surgery. However, the accused are walking freely even after the heinous act. In Matar, everyone OpIndia interviewed, both on and off camera, specifically mentioned Garmala hamlet. Locals reported that this village has a Muslim population of over 70% and extremist elements partake in such acts of violence throughout the Matar region, targeting hindus. Additionally, we uncovered another alarming detail. A Muslim structure resembling a dargah stands close to a shop on the side of a pond where Islamists gather under the cover of night to consume alcohol and drugs, harassing passersby. The mob that attacked the Hindu family on Sunday had also arrived from that very site. OpIndia reached there and found that the Dargah’s gate was locked. Afterwards, we met with the Bajrang Dal co-convener for the Nadiad district. He affirmed that the vicinity of the pond has transformed into a haven for substance abusers and that the violence of Muslims in Matar Taluka is continuously escalating. He also noted that, prior to this incident, extremists had issued threats to Hindus against engaging in Garba during Navratri. Bajrang Dal activists have issued a firm warning, asserting their support for the victim Hindu family since the day of the incident. They have warned that if these actions driven by a “jihadi mindset” do not cease immediately, the law will take its course, but Bajrang Dal will also address the matter in its own manner. OpIndia spent the whole day in the region, listening to the victims talking to local residents, understanding the viewpoints of Hindu organisations and assessing the situation firsthand. The area has clearly experienced a significant demographic change, characterised by a rapid increase in the Muslim population. As this demographic imbalance has escalated, so have the occurrences of violent attacks against Hindus. Moreover, we have received serious complaints from locals that Muslims are extensively purchasing agricultural land throughout the Kheda district, not just in Matar, and are illegally subdividing this land to construct farmhouses, resorts and unauthorised buildings without obtaining Non-Agricultural (NA) clearance. This is the English translation of the Gujarati report published on OpIndia Gujarati