Migrant Labourer Killed in Panipat After Skull-Cap Dispute; Family Alleges Hate Crime

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By Adam Rizvi, The India Observer, TIO: New Delhi: Firdaus Alam, a 24-year-old migrant  labourer from Bihar’s Kishanganj, died after being assaulted in Panipat, Haryana, on May 24. His family believes the attack stemmed from his religious identity, though police have denied any communal motive.

Firdaus, also known as Asjad Babu, worked as a tailor in a Panipat factory. He had recently married and was returning from his in-laws’ home with a friend, Shahnawaz, when the incident occurred.

According to his brother Asad, the two were stopped near Flora Chowk in Sector 29 by a local shopkeeper, Shishu Lala alias Narendra. “Narendra took my brother’s skull-cap and wore it mockingly,” Asad said. When Firdaus asked for it back, Narendra threw the cap to the ground.

“My brother didn’t retaliate. He just gave him a stern look and questioned the act,” Asad added. “This seemed to provoke Narendra, who allegedly responded, ‘How dare you talk to me like that?’” Asad claims that as Firdaus bent to retrieve the cap, Narendra struck him on the head with a baton and mockingly asked if he liked it.

Firdaus lost consciousness on the spot. Shahnawaz immediately called Asad, who rushed Firdaus to a local hospital. He was later referred to PGI Rohtak, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Asad expressed suspicion that the attack was rooted in religious bias. “These are the times we’re living in,” he said, hinting at a communal motive.

However, Panipat police have refuted this claim. Subhash Khasa, the Station House Officer of Sector 29, told The Indian Express that there was no communal angle to the incident. “The accused wanted to try on the cap and may not have even realized it was a religious article. A scuffle broke out afterward, but there was nothing more to it. The investigation is ongoing,” he said.

The accused has been arrested, and an FIR has been filed under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, which pertains to intentional murder.

Meanwhile, Kishanganj MP Mohammad Jawaid has called the incident a “state-enabled terror” and a “targeted killing.” In a post on X, he demanded swift justice and ₹50 lakh compensation for the victim’s family.

“The brutal lynching of Asjad Babu for wearing a skull-cap is not just a hate crime—it’s a targeted act of violence enabled by state inaction. This must not be tolerated in any civilised society,” he wrote.

Curated by Humra Kidwai

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