Eight Muslim men were arrested in the Songadh area of the Tapi district of Gujarat on Tuesday (October 20, 2026) after a Muslim mob attacked a Hindu man’s house, pelted stones at it, and chanted slogans of Sar Tan se Juda (calls for beheading). A minor Muslim was also taken into custody. An FIR has been registered by the police against around 25 people in connection with the mob violence.
The arrested men have been identified as Wasim Nasir Sheikh, Farhan Naim Mansuri, Shakir Abbas Pathan, Javed Khan Yusuf Khan Pathan, Musharraf Mukhtar Bagwan, Hamza Alla Rakha Sheikh, Farhan alias Adil Imtiyaz Mansuri, Tausif Yusuf Khatik, and Altaf Qayum Mansuri.
The incident happened on Tuesday evening in a Muslim-majority locality of Songadh following the evening Namaz at the local Jumma Masjid. A large mob of Muslims gathered at the mosque and pelted stones at the house of a Hindu man named Gaurav Chaudhary, located a few metres away from the mosque. The mob attack followed an online exchange between the Hindu man and a Muslim man regarding a social media post.
On October 20, 2026, a video related to Navratri celebrations was posted on the social media account of a Hindu organisation. A Muslim man posted an objectionable comment on the Navratri post to which Gaurav Chaudhary responded a comment. This was followed by a complaint filed by local Muslims against the Hindu man for his response to the objectionable post. Subsequently, a settlement was reached according to which both the Muslim and the Hindu man deleted their respective comments.
However, despite the settlement, a mob of Muslims surrounded the Hindu man’s house and pelted stones at it and chanted provocative and threatening slogans. The Hindu man informed the police and the local Hindu organisations about the attack. The Muslim mob reportedly continued to pelt stones even after the police arrived. The police rescued the Hindu man and moved him to a safer location. Later, an FIR was registered by the police based on a complaint filed by Gaurav Chaudhary’s father, Bakulbhai Dayarambhai Chaudhary.
OpIndia spoke to the Hindu man
Speaking to OpIndia, Gaurav Chaudhary said that the mob attack on his house was pre-planned. He said that before the mob launched an attack on his house, a Muslim cleric visited the location of his house to confirm if he was present at his house. After the Muslim cleric confirmed that he was in the house, the Muslim mob surrounded the house and started stone pelting. Chaudhary demanded that the Muslim cleric be named as an accused in the FIR.
Local Hindu organisations have also demanded legal action against the Muslim cleric. The police have assured of appropriate action against the cleric, who has not yet been arrested. The police have launched an investigation to ascertain whether the attack on the Hindu man’s house was a pre-planned conspiracy. However, the police have not initiated any action against the Muslim man who posted the objectionable comment about Navratri.
Security has been deployed in the area and around the house of the Hindu man to prevent further escalation of the situation. Speaking about the incident, Tapi Deputy Superintendent of Police Ishwar Parmar said that a case had been registered in connection with the incident under relevant provisions of the BNS, including Section 109(1), which deals with attempt to murder, Section 125, and provisions relating to rioting, among other charges.
The Police have appealed to locals not to believe any rumours on social media and maintain peace.
