Five incidents of communal hate crimes have been reported within a two-week period in the Kodagu district of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, raising concerns about persistent impunity in such cases.

On 18 November 2021, two Muslim girls were harassed by a mob of more than 40 people, who, according to the father of one of the girls, were members of a local right-wing Hindu organisation. The girls, both students of Sacred Heart School, were approached by the mob at a bus stop in Shanivarasanthe at about 4.15 pm while they were waiting for a friend, who was coming to return a burqa (a full-body veil worn by Muslim women) to one of the girls.

The two girls would usually remove their burqas before entering school, as it is common practice in Indian schools and colleges for Muslim women to take off their veils while in the classroom.  On 17 November, one of the girls had given her burqa to a non-Muslim friend to hold onto for her as she did not have space in her bag, and the friend was due to return it to her at the bus stop on 18 November.

When the exchange took place, the mob reportedly began harassing the girls, telling them “the burqa is not to be given to others and spoil girls from other homes.” They then proceeded to attack the girls physically. One girl’s burqa was torn and she sustained scratches to her back. A video of the girls being harassed went viral on social media.

The families of the victims have filed a First Information Report (FIR), which is required for the police to open up an investigation, in the Shanivarasanthe Police Station and the police have registered it under the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences). In cases such as these, religious minorities struggle to register FIRs, and when they succeed, investigations have been criticized by local monitoring groups as being second-rate and lacking in successful prosecutions, thereby entrenching impunity.

Two of the accused, known only as Prajwal and Kaushik, have been arrested, and the police are verifying CCTV footage for more arrests.

Kodagu district has seen a sudden rise in communal crimes, especially against Muslims. On 12 November, an 18-year-old Muslim boy was attacked by right-wing Hindu groups. On 15 November, another Muslim vendor was attacked by a right-wing Hindu mob who harassed him for talking to a Hindu girl.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: "This pattern of harassing and bullying people, including children, from other religion or belief groups is a deeply concerning and common trend which reinforces segregation and intolerance. As long as religious minorities and vulnerable groups from these communities are targeted with impunity, other like-minded individuals or groups will be similarly emboldened to harass and assault minorities simply on the basis of their religion or belief. We urge the authorities to carry out thorough investigations into such matters and bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice in order for peace to be restored in the Karnataka area."