Hindu Mobs Burn Muslims to Death

“We were sitting around. Suddenly this mob appeared and started setting homes on fire and beating everyone in sight. We all ran for our lives,” Marmuni Biwi, an Indian Muslim mother told NDTV on Monday, January 19.

“My family has still not returned.”

The 65-year-old Biwi is one of hundreds of Muslims who lost their homes and properties on Sunday's sectarian attack on Azizpur village, in Muzaffarpur district.

On Sundays night, an unarmed mob of 5,000 people attacked the village and set fire to dozens of Muslim homes and belongings.

The attack followed the discovery of the body of a Hindu man, who has been missing for a week, in the village.

“A mob gathered after the body was found and set fire to at least two dozen thatched huts and at least three people were killed,” Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey told BBC.

“The situation is tense but under control.”

Hindus claim that the man had been in love with a Muslim girl. “He was abducted and murdered,” a senior police official added.

Meanwhile, police arrested at least 14 people in connection with the arson attack.

In a bid to curb tensions, the government deployed hundreds of police forces in the village. It has also announced a compensation of $8,100 to be given to the families of victims.

There are some 140 million Muslims in Hindu-majority India, making up 13% of the country’s population. Christians make up less than 3 %.

In Bihar's Neighboring state of Utter Pradesh, dozens were killed in the Hindu-Muslim clashes in 2013 in Muzaffarnagar.

The riots resulted in the death of at least 60 and forced some 70,000 Muslims to flee their villages, according to the state government.