On 28 June 2022, Kanhaiya Lal Teli, an Indian tailor, was beheaded by two Muslim men in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The attackers filmed the act and circulated the video online.[2][3][4]
According to reports, the assailants entered Lal's tailor shop pretending to be customers. They then murdered him, filmed the act, and uploaded it online.[5][6]
In one of the circulated videos, two men—identifying themselves as Muhammad Riyaz Attari and Muhammad Ghaus—were seen holding butcher knives and claiming responsibility for the killing.[7]
The incident triggered widespread outrage across India. Authorities imposed a curfew in parts of Udaipur and suspended internet services to curb the spread of violence and misinformation.[3]
Background
Kanhaiya Lal Teli (also reported as Kanhaiya Lal Sahu, born c.1982) was a tailor from the Dhanmandi area of Udaipur, the father of two sons who belonged to the Hindu Teli community.[8][9][10]
On June 11, Lal's neighbor Nazim had registered a case against him over a controversial social media post, stating support for Nupur Sharma, which led to Lal's arrest. Subsequently, Lal was released on bail. On June 15, Lal had filed a request for protection with the local police after receiving death threats.[2] In his complaint against Nazim and five others at Dhan Mandi police station, Lal stated that he was receiving threats from Nazim and others and alleged that the group had circulated his photo within their community on social media with a message that Lal should be killed if seen anywhere or if he opens his shop. The police said that they had mediated and resolved the matter between Nazim and Lal. Kanhaiya then gave a statement to police that he does not want any further action in the case. Lal had said that the controversial post was shared inadvertently by his son while playing a game on his phone, and that Lal did not know how to operate a phone.[11]
Murder
Muhammad Riyaz Attari, one of the two accused, had made a video days before the attack on June 17 where he stated his intent for murder for remarks against the prophet Muhammad, to make a "viral" video and his disregard for further consequences.[12]
On June 28, two assailants entered Lal's tailor shop posing as customers. When Lal began taking the measurements for one of them, he was attacked with cleavers at 2.45 p.m. The entire attack was caught on video by the assailants. After subduing Lal, the two accused dragged him out of the shop and slit his throat with a makeshift dagger made at their welding workshop.[13] Lal was stabbed in different parts of the body.[14] A shop assistant of Lal also sustained severe head injuries trying to save him.[15] Other shopkeepers did not make attempts to rescue him. The assailants fled on foot and then drove away on a motorcycle.[13]
After the incident, the local markets in the area were shut down and the traders demanded arrest of the accused.[18] Protests demanding immediate action were staged in various parts of India.[19]
Local authorities of Udaipur imposed a 24-hour curfew and blocked internet access across the state of Rajasthan.[3][20] The central government deployed the National Investigation Agency, India's primary counterterrorism unit, to investigate the incident.[2] The police said that the perpetrators had attempted to behead Kanhaiya during the attack but had failed.[21] Media organizations, such as The Hindu and the BBC, however, reported that Lal had been beheaded.[22][4]
On 28 June, the Rajasthan government announced a compensation of ₹50 lakh (US$59,000) for the family of Kanhaiya. On 6 July, the government announced jobs for Kanhaiya's two sons.[23]
On 2 July, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Mishra visited the family of Kanhaiya Lal, where he announced a compensation of ₹1 crore (US$120,000) for the family of Kanhaiya. Further, he announced compensation amounting to ₹25 lakh (US$30,000) for Ishvar, who was also wounded in the attack, and of ₹5 lakh (US$5,900) to a police constable, Sandeep, who had been injured by a violent mob.[24]
Perpetrators
The assailants were identified as Muhammad Riyaz Attari of Asind in Bhilwara and Ghaus Muhammad, both welders (Ghaus also ran a chit fund and was a broker) who had shifted to Udaipur years back and were residents of the Khanjipeer locality.[25][17][26] The two belonged to the Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam and were members of the Dawat-e-Islami, a Barelvi organization based in Karachi, Pakistan and led by Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadri.[27][28] Ghaus Mohammad had attended religious sessions organized by Dawat-e-Islami in Karachi in 2014 and the "Attari" surname of Mohammad Riyaz Attari is carried by followers of Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadri.[29][30]
While the Barelvi movement, a subsect of the Hanafis which is the most numerous in India, is seen as a less stringent strand of Islam as compared to the Deobandis, most vigilante beheadings in the region for alleged blasphemers of Islam have been linked to the sect. Such as those of Pakistani Punjab governor Salman Taseer by his bodyguard Malik Mumtaz Qadri recently in 2011 or of Mahashe Rajpal, publisher of Rangila Rasul, by Ilm-ud-din before partition in 1929.[27][31][28] This variance between the Deobandis and Barelvis might be linked to juridical differences between the two groups, where the former believes foremost in achieving an Islamic administration in a country before meting out punishment according to sharia while the latter in 'instant justice'.[27] The recent rise in such lynching cases has been attributed to Khadim Hussain Rizvi, follower of Barelvi founder Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi hence the surname "Rizvi" and leader of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, who popularized the slogan "Gustakh-e-Rasul/Nabi ki ek hi saza, sar tan se juda" (lit.'Only one punishment for insult of the prophet [Muhammad], head separated from body') against alleged blasphemers.[27][28]
The assailants were arrested by authorities in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan on June 28, reportedly while trying to flee.[32]
Investigations also revealed that Attari was riding a motorbike with a customized number plate carrying the number "2611", in reference to the 26/11 terrorist attacks.[35][36] During interrogations, the assailants described themselves as "self-radicalized".[30] According to police investigation, the duo planned to initially kill Lal at his home.[37]
Reactions
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP of having involvement in the murder and added "The culprits have links with the BJP. Police had arrested them in some other case, but BJP leaders visited the police station to get them released."[38] In response to the murder, nearly 7000 people took out silent protest march in the city of Udaipur.[39]
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) condemned the murder stating, "taking law into your own hands is highly condemnable, regrettable and un-Islamic" and added, "Neither the law nor the Islamic Sharia allow it."[43] Head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Maulana Mahmood Madani stated, "Udaipur incident is a disgrace to humanity; It is disgrace to humanity & an act of defaming Islam. No matter whosoever is a killer, no one has the authority to take the law and order into his own hands." Religious body Jamaat-e-Islami Hind called the incident "barbaric, Uncivilized and there is no room for Justification of violence in Islam. Peace should not be disturbed. Nobody should try to take advantage of this ugly crime".[43]Shahabuddin Razvi of the Barelvi All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam also condemned the attack, stating "Muslims should not take the law in their own hands, complain to the government, it is the government's job to punish."[44]
Dutch politician Geert Wilders condemned the incident and cautioned the Indian Hindus against "appeasement of Muslims".[46]
Amnesty International condemned the incident and urged the Indian government to take action against killers.[47][48]
Udaipur Files
A Hindi-language film titled Udaipur Files, directed by Bharat S. Srinate and produced by Amit Jani, was announced in 2024 and was initially scheduled for theatrical release on 11 July 2025.[49][50] The film is based on the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur and seeks to dramatize the events surrounding the incident.[51] Following the release of its trailer, the film sparked major controversy, with several civil rights groups and individuals alleging that it promotes communal hatred and vilifies the Muslim community.[52][53]
On 10 July 2025, the Delhi High Court imposed a stay order on the release of the film in response to a petition filed by Maulana Arshad Madani, president of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, along with journalist Prashant Tandon and others.[54] The petition was argued by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who described the film as "a worse form of hate speech" and claimed it could incite violence and disrupt public order.[55][56] The petitioners also argued that the film could compromise the fair trial of accused individuals.[57] The High Court directed the petitioners to seek review under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act and asked the Central Government to decide on the film’s certification.[58] The matter is currently under judicial consideration.[59][60] The film flopped, and its producer Amit Jani criticized the Hindu community for not supporting it.[61]
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