What began as a community feast ended in gunfire in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district, after a man allegedly opened fire on two individuals who had mocked his weight, calling him “motu†— a common Hindi slang word for “fatâ€.
Police arrested the accused a day after the incident, which has sparked conversations around the everyday cruelty of fat-shaming in social settings.
The incident took place on Thursday when Arjun Chauhan had gone with his uncle to attend a local feast, said police.
During the gathering, two other attendees — Anil Chauhan and Shubham Chauhan — allegedly made fun of Arjun’s body size and repeatedly called him “motuâ€, a term often used jokingly but capable of cutting deep when used mockingly.
“Enraged by the taunts, Arjun Chauhan, along with his friend Asif Khan, tracked the duo on the highway the next day. Near the Tenua toll plaza, they stopped the victims’ car, pulled them out, and opened fire before fleeing,†said SP(South) Jitendra Kumar.
“The victims were rushed to the district hospital and later referred to the medical college. Thankfully, both are now out of danger.â€
Based on a complaint filed by Shubham Chauhan’s father, an FIR was registered, and Arjun Chauhan was arrested on Friday.
The term “motu†is commonly used across India in informal conversations — often among friends and family — and is frequently intended as light-hearted teasing. But when used repeatedly or in public, especially by strangers or acquaintances, it can become a form of verbal bullying.
Psychologists and social observers say that casual fat-shaming, though normalised in Indian society, has real emotional consequences.
“We often dismiss fat-shaming as harmless fun, especially with words like ‘motu’, but for many people struggling with body image issues, these words reinforce feelings of inadequacy, shame, and social isolation,†said Dr Anita Verma, a Lucknow-based clinical psychologist.
While the shooting in Gorakhpur is an extreme and condemnable response, experts say it reflects how bottled-up humiliation — especially in public — can sometimes turn violent.
India has seen increasing awareness around body shaming in recent years, thanks to social media campaigns and conversations in pop culture.
Yet, many still face ridicule — particularly in small towns and rural areas where body-shaming remains widely accepted as “mazaak†(joke).
As this case shows, the line between a joke and an insult can sometimes become dangerously thin — and society must learn where not to cross it.
