New Delhi: At least 27 Muslims have been killed by state and non-state actors across India in 2026, marking the deadliest year for anti-Muslim violence since 2022, according to a report by the South Asia Justice Campaign’s (SAJC) India Persecution Tracker (IPT).
The report documents cases involving police shootings, deaths in custody and attacks by cow vigilantes, highlighting growing concerns about communal tensions, alleged discriminatory law enforcement and the absence of accountability.
Between August and October, at least eight Muslims were reportedly killed by state actors across six states. Three died in police encounters, while five lost their lives in police custody or prison.
During the same three-month period, another eight Muslims were killed by cow vigilantes and other non-state actors across four states. West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest numbers, with three killings each.
Uttar Pradesh emerged as the state with the largest number of documented incidents, accounting for 103 of the 146 cases recorded in the tracker’s latest quarterly report.
The report raised concerns about alleged aggressive policing, cattle-related enforcement activities and anti-Muslim statements by political leaders ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.
It alleged that police shot more than 100 Muslim men during the reporting period, with many incidents connected to cattle-related cases. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also identified as the source of nearly half of the hate speeches documented in the state.
Official police data released in October revealed that Muslims accounted for 110 of the 316 people killed in police encounters in Uttar Pradesh since 2017, representing approximately 35 per cent of the total. This is significantly higher than their estimated 19 per cent share of the state’s population.
The tracker also reported that police allegedly shot and wounded at least 118 Muslim men between August and October in incidents commonly described as ‘half-encounters’. These incidents reportedly involve suspects being shot, frequently in the legs, before their formal arrest. Uttar Pradesh alone accounted for 105 such cases.
Most of the individuals targeted in these incidents were accused of involvement in cattle-related offences, the report stated.
An investigation published by the Associated Press last month similarly found that nearly 93 per cent of the identified individuals among approximately 650 people shot by Uttar Pradesh Police in cow-smuggling cases since 2020 were Muslims.
The report also questioned police accountability, referring to an August 13 Allahabad High Court order that called for a federal investigation into a police shooting. The court noted that all 23 police personnel involved had received rewards for their alleged ‘good work’.
Beyond killings, the tracker recorded dozens of assaults against Muslims in at least 10 states between August and October. Several incidents reportedly involved religious harassment, public humiliation and attempts to force victims to chant slogans such as ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
The report also highlighted attacks against Christians during the same period, particularly in West Bengal.
Another major concern involved Bengali-speaking Muslims, many of whom have faced allegations of being undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh.
The issue has become increasingly significant amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
By mid-October, the third phase of the SIR, covering 18 states and Union territories, had led to the deletion of more than 61 million names from draft electoral rolls. Including previous phases, the total number of names removed since the exercise began in Bihar in 2025 had crossed 133 million.
According to the report, large numbers of Form 7 objections seeking the deletion of Muslim voters had been submitted in at least five states. Form 7 is the official mechanism through which objections can be raised against the inclusion of an individual’s name in electoral rolls.
In West Bengal, appeals tribunals had reportedly resolved only 126,194 of the 3.83 million appeals by mid-September, leaving a significant number of affected voters waiting for decisions.
Concerns surrounding citizenship and alleged illegal immigration also intensified during the reporting period.
On September 13, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the government was consulting its political allies over a proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC), which would seek to identify undocumented immigrants.
Separately, a committee constituted by the Union Home Ministry reportedly requested 15 years of religion-based information from states, covering births, school admissions, property transactions and religious institutions.
Overall, the South Asia Justice Campaign said its findings reflect persistent concerns about violence against religious minorities, the alleged misuse of state authority and the protection of constitutional rights in India.
