India witnesses deadliest year for anti-Muslim killings since 2022, 27 Muslims killed in 2026: Report

Millat Times Desk

08 November 2026 (Publish: 02:44 PM IST)

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At least 27 Muslims have been killed by state and non-state actors across India in 2026, making it the deadliest year for anti-Muslim killings since 2022, according to a report by the South Asia Justice Campaign’s (SAJC) India Persecution Tracker (IPT).

The report documented killings involving police violence, custodial deaths and attacks by cow vigilantes, raising concerns over growing communal hostility, alleged discriminatory policing and the lack of accountability.

According to the tracker, at least eight Muslims were killed by state actors between August and October across six states. Of these, three died in police encounters, while five lost their lives in police custody or prison.

During the same period, at least eight Muslims were killed by cow vigilantes and other non-state actors across four states. West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of such killings, with three cases each.

Uttar Pradesh accounted for 103 of the 146 incidents documented in the latest quarterly edition of the tracker, making it the state with the highest number of reported cases.

The report expressed concern over alleged coercive policing, cattle-related enforcement operations and anti-Muslim rhetoric by political leaders ahead of the state’s upcoming Assembly elections.

It stated that police shot more than 100 Muslim men during the reporting period, many of them in operations linked to cattle-related cases. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also identified as the speaker responsible for nearly half of the hate speeches documented in the state.

Official police figures released in October showed that 110 of the 316 people killed in police encounters in Uttar Pradesh since 2017 were Muslims, accounting for approximately 35 per cent of the total. Muslims constitute around 19 per cent of the state’s population.

Between August and October, police also allegedly shot and injured at least 118 Muslim men in incidents described as ‘half-encounters’, in which suspects are reportedly shot, often in the legs, before their formal arrest. Uttar Pradesh accounted for 105 of these cases.

Most of those targeted were accused in cattle-related cases, the report said.

An investigation by the Associated Press published last month also 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 tracker further raised concerns over police accountability, citing an August 13 Allahabad High Court order directing a federal inquiry into a police shooting. The court observed that all 23 police personnel involved in the incident had received rewards for their alleged ‘good work’.

The report documented dozens of assaults against Muslims in at least 10 states between August and October. Several incidents reportedly involved religious intimidation, humiliation and pressure on victims to chant slogans such as ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

Christians were also targeted during the reporting period, particularly in West Bengal, the tracker said.

It further highlighted concerns over the treatment of Bengali-speaking Muslims, many of whom have been labelled illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

The issue has gained prominence 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 resulted in the removal of more than 61 million names from draft electoral rolls. Including earlier phases, the total number of names removed since the exercise began in Bihar in 2025 had exceeded 133 million.

The report alleged that large numbers of Form 7 objections seeking the removal of Muslim voters had been submitted in at least five states. Form 7 is officially used by voters to raise objections to the inclusion of a particular name in electoral rolls.

In West Bengal, appeals tribunals had reportedly decided only 126,194 of the 3.83 million appeals by mid-September, leaving a substantial number of affected voters awaiting decisions.

Concerns over citizenship and alleged illegal immigration also intensified during the reporting period.

On September 13, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the government was holding discussions with its allies on a proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC), aimed at identifying illegal immigrants.

Separately, a committee established by the Union Home Ministry reportedly sought 15 years of religion-wise data from states concerning births, school enrolment, property transactions and religious structures.

The findings, according to the South Asia Justice Campaign, point to continuing concerns over violence against religious minorities, the use of state power and the protection of constitutional rights in India.