In a deeply disturbing incident that has shaken Karnataka, a 38-year-old woman, Shabina Banu, was brutally assaulted by a group of men outside a mosque in Bengaluru in what many are calling a Taliban-style act of vigilante justice. The entire episode, captured on video, has gone viral on social media and has reignited debates about the unchecked rise of religious extremism in parts of the state.
The incident occurred following a domestic dispute between Shabina and her husband, Jameel Ahmed. On April 7, Shabina had visited a hill in Bukkambudi with her relatives, Nasreen and her husband Fayaz. Later in the evening, they returned to her home. When Jameel found them there, he grew furious and, instead of reporting the matter to the police, approached the Jama Masjid in Tavarekere, accusing his wife of having an illicit affair.
Karnataka: 38-year-old Shabina Banu allegedly assaulted by a mob after her husband filed a complaint at a local mosque.
A group of six men assaulted Shabina by wielding sticks and pipes at her, leaving her severely injured.
Accused: Mohammad Niyaz, Mohammad Gauspeer, Chand… pic.twitter.com/oWt3QS88Qg
— Political Kida (@PoliticalKida) April 15, 2025
Shockingly, the issue was not taken to a legal forum but was instead addressed in what appeared to be a parallel justice system run within Islamic premises. On April 9, when Shabina was summoned to the mosque, six men attacked her brutally with sticks and pipes, leaving her grievously injured. The assailants identified as Mohammad Niyaz, Mohammad Gauspeer, Chand Basha, Dastagir, Rasool T. R., and Inayat Ullah have since been arrested and booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita for attempted murder, conspiracy, and assault.
This act of brutality has sparked outrage not only over the violence itself but also over the alarming trend it represents—justice being administered outside the legal system under the guise of religious authority. The video, showing a woman being savagely beaten in broad daylight, has become a grim symbol of what many fear is a growing influence of Islamism in parts of Karnataka.
Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma expressed strong concern, declaring that “Karnataka is turning into a Taliban-ruled state under Congress.” Online reactions echoed similar sentiments, with users slamming the idea of “Sharia zones” where clerics replace judges, and mosques substitute police stations and courts.
While the police have launched a full investigation, the larger concern remains: how such parallel systems of religious justice are being allowed to flourish. As more cases emerge that bypass the legal framework in favor of extrajudicial religious rulings, the question looms—will the state uphold constitutional law, or allow the spread of radical religious vigilantism?
