The mob accused two traders from Madhya Pradesh of cow smuggling, robbed one of cash, demanded ransom, and assaulted him grievously
NEW DELHI — Cow vigilantes continue to trap Muslim cattle traders in BJP-ruled states, often costing them their lives under some flimsy pretexts. In the latest incident, a 35-year-old Muslim trader was brutally assaulted in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district. The mob accused him of cow smuggling, robbed him of cash, demanded ransom, and assaulted him grievously. After battling for life for three days in a hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
According to reports, the victim, Aasif Babu Multani, along with his companion Mohsin Dol (34), both from Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district, had travelled to Rajasthan’s Lambiya cattle fair on September 16. The two men had legally purchased a bull and were returning home when they noticed they were being followed.
Police sources say Aasif’s brother, Manzoor Pemla, reported the matter at the Banera police station on September 17.
According to the FIR, a car began trailing their vehicle before overtaking and blocking their path. Within minutes, several men on motorcycles arrived and surrounded them.
Despite producing the purchase receipt and other documents, both traders were dragged out and beaten. The mob accused them of buying the bull for slaughter, ignoring the evidence shown to them.
While Mohsin Dol managed to escape, Multani was trapped. “They assaulted him mercilessly and snatched the ₹36,000 he was carrying. Around 3.30 am, Kunal, one of the accused, called me from Multani’s phone and demanded ₹50,000 if we wanted him alive and to avoid police action,” Manzoor Pemla said in his complaint.
After the call, Aasif Multani’s phone was switched off. His family grew anxious until around 3 pm when Banera police informed them that he had been admitted to Bhilwara hospital with serious head injuries. Multani breathed his on September 19.
The tragedy has left his wife and young children in despair, as Aasif Multani was the sole breadwinner of the family.
Following the incident, Bhilwara police have arrested five men and booked them under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, extortion, and unlawful assembly. However, police also controversially registered a separate case of cow smuggling.
The development has drawn sharp criticism, with rights activists questioning why cow smuggling charges were filed despite proof of legal purchase. Many see this as an attempt to shield vigilante violence under legal pretexts.
The case highlights the impunity with which cow vigilantes operate. Instead of protecting animals, critics argue, these groups use “cow protection” as a cover for extortion, violence, and spreading fear.
Observers say such vigilantes should face strict punishment, but the deeper issue lies in unemployment and lack of livelihood opportunities. “Only jobless youth can indulge in such heinous acts. They misuse the name of cow protection to justify their crimes,” a local activist from Delhi remarked.
The killing of Aasif Multani has once again raised questions over law enforcement and the state’s responsibility to rein in vigilante groups who routinely undermine the rule of law and threaten India’s social fabric of coexistence.
