On 1 April 2026, a 60-year-old Muslim man and his 16-year-old son were assaulted by a group in Varshakonda village, Jagtial district, Telangana. The incident occurred during Hanuman Jayanti, reportedly due to the sale of beef. Both victims sustained injuries and received medical treatment before being discharged. Police have confirmed that an investigation is ongoing and several suspects have been identified.According to Siasat.com, the victims, Mohammed Qureshi and his son Mohammed Anas, are known in the village for selling meat, including beef, which they procure from Nizamabad. Police stated that the duo had sold meat the previous day without any objections from the community.Videos circulating online show a group of 15-20 individuals, dressed in saffron attire, dragging the teenage son and physically assaulting both father and son. In one video, a member of the group is heard instructing others to remove the boy’s clothes, while the father is repeatedly beaten and kicked. The attackers demanded that the victims prove they were selling beef by opening their meat package as coverage revealed.During the assault, the group chanted slogans such as "Jai Shri Ram" and "Jai Shivaji." At one point, a bystander cautioned the group not to be too harsh, warning, "Don’t be too harsh, they might die. Don’t leave any marks." Another video shows the son tied to a pole, with his injured father standing beside him, while villagers watched the public assault as further details emerged."A case is booked. We are in the middle of inquiring. There was an argument and attack due to the sale of beef on Hanuman Jayanti," the Metpally town Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) stated to Siasat.com.The police have identified four to five individuals from the videos and are working to identify the remaining suspects. The Station House Officer of Ibrahimpatnam police station confirmed that over 15 people were involved in the incident. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities reviewing video evidence to ensure all perpetrators are identified as investigation continued.Telangana has generally experienced fewer communal incidents compared to other states, but there has been a noted increase in hate crimes against Muslims since the beginning of 2026. The recent attack has raised concerns about the rise of Islamophobic rhetoric and violence in the region as recent trends indicate."Although Telangana has relatively steered clear of communal incidents, the state has seen a sharp rise in hate crime incidents against Muslims since the start of 2026, raising questions of widespread Islamophobic rhetoric in the country," the report noted.Police officials have assured that the victims received medical attention and have since been discharged from the hospital. The authorities are continuing their efforts to bring all those involved in the assault to justice, with the investigation focusing on identifying every individual seen in the video footage as updates confirmed.Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.