Lucknow: A Muslim student travelling from Meerut to Deoband in Uttar Pradesh was allegedly assaulted by a group of men after he refused their repeated attempts to make him drink alcohol on a train. The attackers allegedly forced him off at Khatauli station and fled with his money and mobile phone.
The student, identified as Muntasir, was travelling to the prominent Islamic educational centre Darul Uloom Deoband. According to his complaint, he was sitting quietly when a group of passengers who were drinking alcohol offered him a drink. After he refused, he moved to another seat and later shifted to a different coach when the group continued to pressure him.
A young man was allegedly assaulted by an inebriated group while travelling in a train from Meerut to Deoband.
— The Siasat Daily (@TheSiasatDaily) August 23, 2026
Muntazir, a madrasa student, was heading towards Darul Uloom Deoband, a famous school for Islamic studies in Uttar Pradesh.
Narrating the incident, he said that he… pic.twitter.com/stWjvzTVr4
The men allegedly followed him several stations later, abused and attacked him and prevented him from escaping. He was then reportedly forced to get off the train at Khatauli, where he was left after the alleged assault. The incident has raised fresh concerns over the safety of Muslim passengers travelling on trains in Uttar Pradesh.
The case has also brought renewed attention to an earlier fatal incident involving a Muslim madrasa teacher, Maulana Tausif Raza Mazhari, near Bareilly railway station in April. The 30-year-old Bihar resident was allegedly accused of being a thief by a group of passengers and was pushed from a moving train. He died in the incident.
The latest assault has intensified criticism of the railway police and administration over the safety of train passengers, particularly amid allegations of attacks targeting members of the Muslim community.