India Records 27 Muslim Deaths in 2026 Amid Rising Anti-Muslim Violence, Report Says

India Records 27 Muslim Deaths in 2026 Amid Rising Anti-Muslim Violence, Report Says
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At least 27 Muslims have been killed by state and non-state actors in India during 2026, making it the deadliest year for such killings since the India Persecution Tracker began documenting incidents in January 2022, according to a report by the South Asia Justice Campaign.

The organisation’s third quarterly review for 2026, covering August to October, documented eight Muslim deaths at the hands of state actors, including three in police encounters and five in custody or prison. Another eight Muslims were reportedly killed by cow vigilantes and other non-state actors. Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal recorded the highest number of killings.

The report also highlighted escalating anti-Muslim hate speech, police violence, forced religious humiliation and the exclusion of Muslim voters, particularly in election-bound states. It documented 146 incidents, 103 of them in Uttar Pradesh, where police shot and wounded at least 118 Muslim men during the reporting period.

The campaign further raised concerns over mosque demolitions, the closure of Islamic schools, forced evictions of Bengali-speaking Muslim families and policies that could undermine Muslims’ citizenship and voting rights.