Cow vigilantes kill man on suspicion of carrying meat, injure his pal

Monitoring Desk

MUMBAI: A Muslim was beaten to death allegedly by a group of cow vigilantes on suspicion of carrying beef in Nashik district of Maharashtra.

According to Indian media, Afan Ansari, the 32-year-old victim from Mumbai’s Kurla, along with his friend Nasir Sheikh, was transporting meat in a car when they were intercepted and thrashed by cow vigilantes.

They were rushed to a hospital where one of them died soon after arrival, police said.

“On reaching the spot, we found the car in a damaged condition. The injured men were inside the car and we admitted them to a nearby hospital where one of them died,” said sub-inspector Sunil Bhamre.

The police have detained 10 people so far in the case.

“On the complaint of the injured, we have registered a case of murder and rioting and are probing it,” said the police.

Whether they were indeed transporting beef or not will be known only after the lab report comes, they added.

Hindus hold cows in religious esteem. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came in to power in 2014, attacks on Muslims by the cow vigilante have increased manifold, often on mere suspicion. In many cases, several attacks were carried out by right-wing groups close to the ruling BJP party.

It may be recalled that in March, the Maharashtra government approved a proposal to set up a commission to implement the law banning the slaughter of cows, eight years after the Bombay High Court upheld the validity of the Act banning cattle slaughter.