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India Beef Lynching: Mob Kills Man After Rumors He Ate ‘Cow Meat’ Surfaced At Hindu Temple

By Tara Dodrill
Published on: 02:15 PST, Oct 1, 2015

An Indian man was lynched over rumors he ate beef. On Wednesday, Indian law enforcement said six people were arrested for killing a 50-year-old Muslim man who had allegedly eaten beef, which is a great taboo in the nation where a majority of the citizens are Hindu.

Mohammad Akhlaq, the victim of the India beef lynching, was dragged from his home near the capital and attacked by about 100 people, according to local police officials.

“When our team reached the spot a crowd was there outside his house. They [police] managed to rescue him and take him to the hospital, but his life could not be saved,” said senior police superintendent Kiran S. “We have arrested six people and deployed additional personnel to contain any further repercussions.”

The 22-year-old son of the Indian Muslim accused of eating beef was also seriously injured in the attack, according to MSN. The younger Akhlaq was reportedly placed in the intensive care unit of a nearby hospital, the Hindustan Times reports.

Killing cows is banned in most Indian states. Although the country has a Hindu majority, there is also reportedly a significant portion of the populace that is Muslim, Buddhist, or Christian.

The Indian state of Maharashtra strengthened its cattle ban in March. It is now illegal to even possess beef in the state. Religious minorities in the nation deemed the move a sign that “hardline” Hindus are exerting their power in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking office. The village where the India beef lynching took place is approximately 22 miles from New Delhi.

Indian police told the media that an announcement was made at a Hindu temple, claiming that the family of Mohammad Akhlaq was eating bee, and a mob soon formed. Akhlaq’s daughter, Sajida, told the local media that the family had mutton in their refrigerator, not beef.

“They accused us of keeping cow meat, broke down our doors and started beating my father and brother. My father was dragged outside and beaten with bricks,” Sijida Akhlaq added. “After dinner, my father went to sleep in his room on the first floor.”

“We heard the announcement from the village temple in our vicinity, calling the residents to assemble at our house as he had slaughtered a calf,” the victim’s other daughter, Mehraaj, said. “At 10.30 p.m., more than 100 people armed with sticks and bricks surrounded my house. They abused us and broke the main gate to enter. They mercilessly thrashed my brother who was studying on the ground floor and damaged the furniture. Then, they went upstairs and attacked my father.”

https://youtu.be/vQ6SC01NVVE

Keeping a fragile peace in the Indian village of A Uttar Pradesh proved to be a monumental task for police officers. Additional security personnel were sent to the area to prevent violence from breaking out after the Monday beef lynching. The Samajwadi Party (SP) government mandated that an investigation into the death begin immediately. An order to disperse “Rs 10-lakh” compensation for the family of the victim was issued. The murder is reportedly being considered a premeditated killing at this time.

An animal carcass dumped in the middle of Greater Noida’s Bisada village reportedly sparked the beef eating rumors, which led to the lynching in India. A nationwide ban on cow slaughter sparked claims of discriminatory policies by non-Hindu religious leaders.

[Image via Shutterstock.com]

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