Muslims Account for 93% of People Injured in Uttar Pradesh Police Shootings Linked to Cow-Smuggling Cases
Muslims Account for 93% of People Injured in Uttar Pradesh Police Shootings Linked to Cow-Smuggling Cases
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Nearly 93% of people injured in Uttar Pradesh police shootings involving alleged cow-smuggling cases since 2020 were Muslims, according to an investigation by the Associated Press (AP) and the Washington-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH).
More details in the following report:
The investigation documented 645 cases involving 772 victims, raising concerns about potential religious disparities in police use of force in India’s most populous state.
The analysis found that many victims were shot in the lower legs, often just below the knee. Researchers examined 627 cases in which victims’ names or other identifying details were available. They cautioned that the findings were based on incidents publicly reported by police and likely did not capture the full scale of the shootings.
The findings come amid intensified law enforcement under Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who took office in March 2017. State police data obtained by the AP show that 12,890 suspects were injured in police encounters between his appointment and October 13, 2026. During the same period, 316 suspects were killed, including 110 Muslims. Muslims account for approximately one-fifth of the state’s population.
The investigation found that many shootings involved people accused of cow smuggling, an offence associated with laws protecting cattle, which hold religious significance in Hinduism. However, critics have disputed the characterization of some cases as smuggling, arguing that certain incidents involved the transportation of cattle for personal use or commercial sale.
Police in Uttar Pradesh have described the shootings as acts of self-defence during encounters. Human rights activists, opposition politicians and members of the judiciary, however, have questioned whether the recurring pattern of leg injuries is consistent with lawful and proportionate use of force.
