The radical Hindutva links of the men arrested for lynching a Muslim man in Maharashtra

On August 11, Suleman Rahim Khan Pathan was sitting with a Hindu woman in a cafe in Maharashtra’s Jamner town when a group of men forced him to go along with them.

The 21-year-old was driven around in a van and brutally assaulted before finally being dropped off at a bus stand in his village. Khan died of his injuries.

Eight men who were allegedly part of the mob that killed him have been arrested for the crime. At least four of them were involved with radical Hindutva groups, Scroll found by tracking their social media presence. Residents alleged that four others were members of the Bajrang Dal.

According to the police, of the eight accused, four men – Aaditya Devre, Krushna Teli, Sojwal Teli, and Rishikesh Teli – were from nearby villages. Murlidhar Kasar, investigating officer in the case, told Scroll that they led the mob and assaulted Khan and his family.

Scroll’s analysis of their social media accounts showed that the four were active members of Shri Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, an organisation formed by the Hindutva hardliner Sambhaji Manohar Bhide, who was formerly associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

In December 2022, Dalit groups and political activists had accused Bhide of instigating violence in Bhima Koregaon village through provocative...

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