Muslim man killed by cattle vigilantes

A group of vigilantes attacked and killed a Muslim man suspected of carrying beef in the village of Jogia in India’s Bihar State on 7 March.

The victim, 56-year-old Naseeb Qureshi, was travelling on a motorcycle with his nephew Firoz Qureshi from their home village of Hasanpura to the neighbouring village of Jogia in Saran District. As they entered Jogia, they were stopped by the village head and a few other young men, upon which the village head told the group that the two men were carrying beef and ordered them to assault the duo.

Firoz Qureshi was able to escape the attack after being chased from the scene by a group of men, however his uncle was beaten with bricks and kicked in the stomach. Seeing that the attack on his uncle was continuing, Firoz went to the Rasalpur police station near to Jogia village to report the incident, however upon his arrival he was informed that his uncle had been taken to Daraunda police station in Siwan District, where the two men live.

Firoz then travelled to the Daraunda police station, where he was told that his uncle had been sent to the Siwan Sardar Hospital. Naseeb was later referred to another hospital in the state capital of Patna, but succumbed to his injuries and died on the way on 8 March.

A First Information Report (FIR), which is required to open an investigation, has been registered under the Indian Penal Code under sections 302 (murder), 34 (act committed by several persons with a common intention) and 379 (theft, because some of Mr Qureshi’s money was missing). Three people have been arrested so far, including the village chief Sushil Singh.

The sale and consumption of beef is illegal in Bihar. However, since the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) first came into power in 2014, incidents of hate crimes related to meat, mostly against Muslims, have increased. According to Human Rights Watch, 36 of the 44 people killed in such attacks between May 2015 and December 2018 were Muslims.

Similar incidents continue to date. On 16 February the bodies of two Muslim men were discovered in a burned out vehicle in Bhiwani, Haryana State. The two men had allegedly been attacked and kidnapped from Ghatmeeka village in neighbouring Rajasthan State on suspicion of cow smuggling on 15 February.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Naseeb Qureshi. We are appalled by the targeted violence being meted out on Muslims in India on the basis of their identity and religion. We urge the Indian government to address the extremist narratives promoted by the Rashtriya Swayamesevak Sangh (RSS), which fuel such attacks, and to bring Naseeb Qureshi’s killers to justice.’