Communal violence: Local Hindus lynch Muslim man in India's Haryana state, five arrested

A 26-year-old Muslim from West Bengal was lynched by local Hindus in Charkhi Dadri area of India's Haryana state earlier this week, in the latest case of communal violence in the country over the pretext of beef consumption.

Another Muslim, an Assam native, was severely injured in the same incident.

Authorities have arrested five individuals and detained two juveniles in connection with the attack.

The First Information Report (FIR) indicates that on the morning of August 27, a group of men lured the deceased scrap dealer, Sabir, from his slum residence near Badhra village to a local bus stand under the pretense of selling scrap.

They also summoned Asiruddin, the injured migrant, to the location. The vigilantes then assaulted both men and forcibly transported them to separate locations on motorcycles.

Later, Sabir's body was found near a canal in Bhandwa village, while Asiruddin was discovered at another site and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.

Charkhi Dadri Superintendent of Police Pooja Vashisth confirmed that the men accused of the gruesome murder are members of a cow vigilante group.

Despite the attack being recorded on video by bystanders, it was not reported to the authorities.

The victim’s brother-in-law, Sujauddin, who filed the complaint, stated that the family had lived in the area for five years without incident and has called for the harshest penalties for the perpetrators.

Sabir is survived by his wife and two-year-old daughter.

The broader issue of cow vigilante violence has been generally on the rise in India since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014.

And again after the 2024 elections in India, there has been a spike in communal violence and vigilante attacks.

The incidents range from “Hindutva” mobs harassing and beating Muslims transporting cattle to mob lynchings.

In June alone, there were over 10 attacks on cattle transporters by vigilante groups, with incidents reported in Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha.

Additionally, there were at least seven cases of mob lynchings, primarily affecting Muslims.

These attacks have intensified scrutiny on the rise of Hindutva extremism and its impact on communal harmony in the country including the economic marginalisation of the Muslim minority.