Overview

• The attack unfolded around 4 a.m. June 18 on a Queens-bound E train when Naved Durrni asked the 55-year-old woman if she was Muslim and then punched and kicked her, leaving her with a fractured nose, concussion and extensive bruising.
• Durrni, 34, was arrested a few blocks from the 75th Avenue station wearing distinctive attire and is no stranger to the justice system, with six prior arrests including a 2021 anti-Muslim hate crime spree in Queens.
• At his June 19 arraignment before Judge Michael Katz, prosecutors charged him with hate crime assault and aggravated harassment and secured an order to hold him without bail ahead of his next court date on Monday.
• The victim remains hospitalized with facial fractures and swelling, and community members have rallied support through a GoFundMe campaign to assist with her recovery.
• The assault has reignited calls for enhanced security measures and mental health interventions in the New York City subway system after a series of bias-motivated incidents.