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55-year-old lynched by cow vigilantes in Bihar
55-year-old Muslim man lynched by cow vigilantes in Bihar's Saran district. 20 people detained. Security stepped up to avoid escalation.
Patna: A 55-year-old Muslim man was allegedly lynched by a group of cow vigilantes that accused him of transporting beef in Bihar’s Saran district, police officials said on Thursday.
At least 20 people were detained in connection with the incident, which took place in Bangra village under Jalalpur police station area, between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. Security was subsequently stepped up to avoid escalation of the matter, police said.
Saran superintendent of police (SP) Gaurav Mangla said the deceased, Mohammad Zahiruddin, was a resident of Manjhawali village under Gaura police out-post. Zahiruddin worked in a bone factory and was on his way to work when his container truck broke down.
“As his container truck broke down near Batraha Bazar, a group of nearly 40 cow vigilantes arrived there to help but found a smell from the vehicle. They forced him to open the container,” a police officer said, asking not to be named.
“As Zahiruddin opened the container, the vigilantes found few bones and suspected him of transporting beef. They brutally thrashed the man till police arrived at the spot and rushed him to Sadar hospital where he succumbed to injuries,” the officer added.
Police said samples of the bones recovered from the container were sent for forensic tests and a probe is underway to ascertain if the deceased was transporting beef. They did not immediately ascertain if the vigilantes were linked to any right-wing organisation.
The law in Bihar, Bihar Preservation and Improvement of Animals Act, 1955, bans the slaughter of cows and calves but allowed bovines either 15 years or older or disabled to be slaughtered.
Following the killing, police stepped up security in Bangra village to prevent any untoward incident. “Additional forces have been deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident. The body of the deceased was handed over to the family after postmortem,” Mangla said.
The SP said that a first information report (FIR) was registered against eight named accused and 30 unidentified people under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) and 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code. While 20 suspects have been detained, efforts are on to nab the remaining, he added.
QUOTES FROM DECEASED’S FAMILY
The incident came nearly four months after a 56-year-old Muslim man was beaten to death by a mob on suspicion of transporting beef. The deceased, Naseem Qureshi, was a resident of Hasanpur village in Siwan area. HOW MANY people were arrested in the case.
