Another person grievously injured; no arrests have been made yet
NEW DELHI — A mob lynched two Muslim men on suspicion of cattle theft in Assam’s Sonitpur district near the Arunachal Pradesh border in the early hours of Friday. A third person was seriously injured in the attack, reports reaching here said on Monday.
The men belonged to Morigaon district of the state.
Police said the incident took place in the remote Bhalukpong area around 3:30 am after the three were accused of attempting to smuggle stolen cows. According to the police, villagers noticed the alleged theft and chased the men before attacking them.
Sonitpur Superintendent of Police Barun Purkayastha said two men succumbed to their injuries before police arrived at the spot. The grievously injured is currently undergoing treatment.
Police also said they recovered the cattle and the vehicle allegedly used by the group.
“The victims belong to a minority community from Morigaon district,” the officer confirmed.
Authorities have registered two separate cases — one related to the alleged cattle theft and another one related to the mob assault that led to the deaths.
Despite the killings, no arrests had been made so far. Police said identifying those involved is proving difficult because the attack involved a large crowd and happened in a remote area with no CCTV cameras or surveillance footage.
On Thursday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, notorious for making hateful speeches and his anti-Muslim policies, said the state government was maintaining “zero tolerance towards cattle smuggling.”
In a social media post ahead of Eid Al-Adha, Sarma claimed that more than 850 alleged cattle smugglers had been arrested since January and over 2,980 kg of beef seized during enforcement drives. He also said authorities were remaining “extremely vigilant” before the festival.
The killings have once again raised concerns over anti-Muslim mob violence and so-called cow vigilantism. Rights groups and opposition leaders have repeatedly alleged that Muslims are targeted in cases involving cattle trade, transport or beef consumption, while those involved in mob attacks often enjoy impunity.
