LONDON – Three young British Hindu men were violently attacked in what is being described as a racially and religiously motivated assault at Harrow Recreation Ground in northwest London. The victims, aged 20 and 21, were reportedly targeted after identifying themselves as Indian and Sri Lankan in response to a question about their ethnicity. Two of the men were knocked unconscious, and all three suffered injuries requiring medical attention at Northwick Park Hospital.
The attack, which took place on the evening of May 30, has drawn condemnation and concern, with Conservative MP Bob Blackman raising the issue in the House of Commons on Thursday, calling it an act of “religious hatred.”
From Cricket to Crisis
One of the victims, a 20-year-old British Indian Gujarati Hindu and a first-year radiography student, had gone to the park to play cricket with two friends, both British Hindus of Sri Lankan heritage. According to the student’s sister, the group walked past a café where a Muslim family was seated. Some of the women were wearing hijabs. When the students glanced back toward their cricket-playing friends, one of the men from the café group confronted them, accusing them of looking at his family.
Despite their attempts to clarify they were simply watching their friends play, tensions escalated. A second man joined the confrontation, questioning why they had spoken to his brother. The students say they tried to defuse the situation, and the two men appeared to back down.
The students returned to the park and sat on a bench. Roughly half an hour later, three men from the café group—believed to be in their mid to late 20s—approached and became aggressively confrontational, demanding to know the students’ ethnic backgrounds. When one of them replied that they were Indian and Sri Lankan, the men launched into a violent assault.
Brutal Assault Leaves Two Unconscious
The attackers allegedly punched and kicked the students repeatedly, rendering two of them unconscious. The sister of the Indian victim said her brother was wearing a sacred Hindu thread on his wrist from a temple at the time of the attack. One of the assailants was reportedly wearing a Moroccan football jersey with the number 2 and the name “Hakimi” on it.
Police and paramedics arrived at the scene, and one of the victims was taken to the hospital. The other two, despite their injuries, had to make their own way to receive medical treatment. The victims sustained multiple cuts and bruises, and two suffered facial fractures.
Victim’s Family Speaks Out
“My brother is traumatized,” the sister told The Times of India (TOI). “He feels ashamed to leave the house and is paranoid that people are staring at him. He’s never been in a fight before.”
The attack disrupted the student’s life significantly. He had just completed his first-year exams and was due to begin a clinical placement, which has now been postponed due to his injuries and mental health distress.
The family has also expressed frustration with the ongoing police investigation. Two weeks after the attack, they claim that authorities had still not reviewed available CCTV footage. “We don’t feel like this is being taken seriously,” the sister added.
Police Response
The Metropolitan Police issued a statement saying they were called to reports of a “fight” and confirmed that one individual had been taken to hospital with a head injury. However, they stated: “There is no evidence at this time that this attack was racially motivated. Our enquiries into the circumstances continue. No arrests have been made.”
The incident has sparked concerns within the British Hindu community and raised broader questions about race, religion, and community safety in multicultural London. As the investigation continues, families of the victims and local leaders are calling for swift justice and greater protections against hate-driven violence.
