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Haryana CM says migrant worker's murder over suspicion of eating beef not 'mob lynching': ‘Who can stop them?’
A migrant labourer from West Bengal was beaten to death in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri district suspicion that he had eaten beef.
Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini downplayed the lynching of a migrant worker from West Bengal by a group of cow vigilantes over suspicion that he had eaten beef. Saini argued the term “mob lynching” does not accurately reflect the incident given the stringent cow protection laws enacted by the Haryana Assembly.
“It is not right to say things like mob lynching, because a strict law has been made in the Assembly for cow protection and there is no compromise on it,” the chief minister said.
“Villagers have so much respect for cows that if they are informed about such things, then who can stop them? I want to say that such incidents should not happen and these incidents are unfortunate,” he added.
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7 arrested for mob lynching
Sabir Malik, a labourer from West Bengal, was beaten to death allegedly by a group of individuals from a cow vigilante group in Charkhi Dadri district on August 27. The group reportedly suspected Malik of consuming beef, which is a serious offence under local cow protection laws.
Five men—Abhishek, Mohit, Ravinder, Kamaljit, and Sahil—along with two juveniles, have been arrested in connection with the crime.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Dheeraj Kumar confirmed that a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered and that the accused are currently in police remand.
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Malik, who worked as a scrap dealer near Bandhra village, was lured to a shop under the pretence of selling empty plastic bottles before being assaulted, according to police.
After intervention by bystanders, the accused took Malik to a different location and beat him again, resulting in his death.
"A migrant labourer was beaten to death by some people. A case has been registered under BNS and 7 people, including 2 juveniles, have been arrested. Police is working on the case actively and the accused have been taken on police remand and are being questioned," DSP Kumar said.
