A Muslim man has been beaten to death by mobs in western India over allegations of smuggling cows, the latest in a series of similar attacks blamed on hard-line Hindus who consider the animal sacred.
A Muslim man has been beaten to death by mobs in western India over allegations of smuggling cows, the latest in a series of similar attacks blamed on hard-line Hindus who consider the animal sacred.
The incident took place in Alwar district, Rajasthan state, midnight Friday, when a group of five to seven people attacked the man, identified as Akbar, and beat him with sticks, police said.
The 28-year-old victim, along with another man, was taking the dairy animals to a village in neighboring Haryana state. Police said they took the victim to a nearby hospital, but he was declared dead.
“We are investigating the incident and will make arrests soon,” Shyam Singh, a police official in Alwar, told Reuters.
Anil Kumar Beniwal, another district police official, said the victim was accompanied by another friend who managed to escape.
In a post on Twitter, Rajasthan’s chief minister condemned the incident and promised stern action. “The strictest possible action shall be taken against the perpetrators,” said Vasundhara Raje.
The incident is the latest such attack by Hindu vigilantes in India, where there have been a spate of assaults against Muslims and low-caste Dalits.
