Vigilante mob storms UP cafe, assaults birthday party over 'love jihad' claim | Watch

• Mob stormed Bareilly cafe, assaulted guests over alleged "love jihad" claims
• Police filed FIR against two named accused and 25 unidentified associates
• Three partygoers detained for breach of peace, released on bail.

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A quiet birthday celebration at a cafe in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, descended into chaos and violence on Saturday after a mob of nearly 25 vigilantes stormed the premises, assaulting staff and guests while levelling allegations of "love jihad," police and victims have said.

The incident, which occurred around 2 pm on December 27 at a cafe in the Prem Nagar area, began when the group, led by two local men, barged in and targeted a party where a girl’s birthday was being celebrated.

Members of a right-wing group gate-crashed a birthday party of a female nursing student, 20, at a cafe in #Bareilly district of #UttarPradesh.

Several videos of the incident surfaced on social media where over a dozen men could be seen storming into a cafe in the #PremNagar area… pic.twitter.com/JCJJY5K3Dd — Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) December 28, 2025

According to a complaint filed by cafe owner Shailendra Gangwar, the assailants hurled abuses, assaulted those present, issued death threats and vandalised expensive items, causing extensive damage and significant financial loss, The Indian Express reported.

The trigger for the attack, according to accounts from the scene and a video statement by the birthday girl, was the presence of two Muslim youths among the approximately dozen friends gathered.

In a video circulating on social media, the girl is heard stating that the mob raised slogans, misbehaved with her, attempted to snatch her phone and severely assaulted the two Muslim friends while making false accusations of "love jihad" – a term used by right-wing groups to allege a conspiracy involving Muslim men and Hindu women.

Police confirmed an FIR has been registered against two named accused, Rishabh Thakur and Deepak Pathak and 25 unidentified associates under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including house trespass, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, mischief and rioting.

Both Thakur and Pathak were reported absconding as of late Saturday. Authorities are examining CCTV and social media footage to identify others involved. Efforts were underway to trace the two named accused.

In a contentious move, police also detained three individuals from the birthday party – two revellers named Shaan and Waqaib and the cafe owner Gangwar – invoking provisions related to breach of peace. They were later released on bail after furnishing personal bonds.

The Station House Officer of Prem Nagar police station, Rajbali Singh, explained that the three were detained for breach of peace following a heated argument between the two sides, adding that the cafe had been booked for the celebration by Shaan and Waqaib. He also stated that no one sustained serious injuries requiring hospitalisation.

The accused, Thakur and Pathak, are described in the complaint as self-proclaimed cow vigilantes with a history of creating disturbances in the area over "love jihad" and other issues. While allegations have surfaced linking them to the Bajrang Dal, the organisation’s Bareilly coordinator, Aryan Chaudhary, denied any association, claiming the men had no links to the outfit.

Senior police official Ashutosh Shivam, Circle Officer of Bareilly, stated that police responded promptly to the incident and brought the situation under control.