Ghaziabad Crime: Popular YouTuber Saleem Wastik Stabbed, Condition Critical

Popular ex-Muslim YouTuber Saleem Wastik is in a critical condition in hospital after two men allegedly entered the creator’s home in Ghaziabad’s Loni area on Friday and stabbed the neck and abdomen multiple times, before escaping on a bike. Hospital sources described the injuries as life-threatening and said the situation remains unstable.

Police officers are treating the case as an attempted murder and are checking CCTV footage from Ashok Vihar Colony, which falls under Loni Police Station. Investigators said the attackers kept their helmets on, making identification difficult, and they are still working to confirm the motive behind the stabbing.

Saleem Wastik attack and investigation details

According to the complaint, the assailants arrived on a motorcycle on Friday morning and went straight into the house where Saleem Wastik lives. They allegedly struck the neck and abdomen with knives several times, then fled the scene. Wastik was first rushed to a nearby facility, then shifted to GTB Hospital in Delhi as the condition worsened.

Sources at GTB Hospital told India Today TV that Wastik’s health is "extremely serious". Doctors are reported to be monitoring the wounds closely. No official medical bulletin has been issued so far, but police said they are in touch with the hospital management and will update the family and media after confirmed information arrives.

Online profile and public commentary before Saleem Wastik attack

Saleem Wastik is known online as an ex-Muslim YouTuber who frequently voiced strong criticism of Islam and featured on several television debates. Wastik runs two YouTube channels; one of them hosts 179 uploaded videos and has 28.4K subscribers, with content centred on faith, doubts, and conversations around leaving religion.

Many ex-Muslims, especially in countries with large Muslim populations, often hide their beliefs in public life. Wastik, however, chose to disclose the views openly and consistently. This visibility brought a following but also drew intense opposition, both online and offline, from those who disagreed with the criticism of Islamic teachings.

Eyewitness account and reactions to Saleem Wastik attack

An associate present at the house said the assault was fast and confusing, and claimed not to recognise the attackers. "I did not see them, I did not see how many times they struck or where they struck. I did not see who they were. The police came at around 8 am. An ambulance had come to take him [to the hospital]," an associate of Salim, hiding her face with a scarf, told India Today TV's Mayank Gaur.

Several groups and individuals online linked the stabbing to Wastik’s ex-Muslim identity and content questioning Islam. Police officials, however, have stated they are still collecting evidence and do not yet confirm whether the attack is directly connected to religious criticism, personal grudges, or any other dispute.

Religious context and social media angle in Saleem Wastik attack

Pew Research data shows that millions worldwide have left or changed religions, but abandoning Islam can carry serious consequences in some societies. Islam traditionally does not accept apostasy, and in certain countries, leaving the faith is punishable by death under local laws or social codes.

After the attack, social media users circulated screenshots from a closed group named "Muslim Army". These claimed that a person using the Instagram handle "official_m3hdi_" had written, "Saleem ex-Muslim ko hospital pohocha diya. Video chaahiye full?" India Today Digital confirmed that this Instagram handle exists but could not verify the group, message, or any video linked to the crime.

Other ex-Muslim voices respond to Saleem Wastik attack

In October, Wastik had discussed ex-Muslim Sahil on the channel, after Sahil re-entered Islam to fulfil the mother’s last wish and perform the burial. During the previous five years, Sahil became one of the most visible ex-Muslim activists globally, alongside figures like Maryam Namazie, Zafar Heretic, Harris Sultan, Adam Seeker and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

Ex-Muslim Sahil addressed the latest stabbing in a video on a YouTube channel with almost six lakh subscribers. "It was a brutal attack. There were reports that he succumbed to his injuries, but this isn't true," Ex-Muslim Sahil said in the video, adding that his condition was critical. Activist Puneet Sahani also wrote on X, "Very distressed from hearing about the brutal attack on Saleem Wastik. He was one of my biggest inspirations in speaking about the truth of my religious tradition that was obscured by Maulvis, in confronting the radicals within my community head on. Pray that he makes it alive," posted activist Puneet Sahani on X.