MP: Muslim Man Killed on Suspicion of Cow Smuggling, Two Injured

Bhopal: In suspicion of cattle smuggling, a group of cow vigilantes attacked a Maharashtra-bound truck on Tuesday night near Seoni-Malwa town of Narmadapuram district and allegedly killed a 50-year-old Nazir Ahmed and left two others gravely injured.

The incident occurred when a group of 10-12 cow vigilantes intercepted a truck transporting cows at Barakhad village near Seoni Malwa town at around 12.30 am on the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday and assaulted the three men who were transporting 28 bovines, Narmadapuram Superintendent of Police (SP) Gurkaran Singh told NewsClick.

Singh said the three men, all residents of Amravati district in Maharashtra, were illegally transporting cows in a truck bearing the registration number of the adjoining state for allegedly selling in a cattle fair.

"Attackers had a tip-off about the truck as it was attacked merely 8-10 kilometres after it departed from Nanderwada village," Singh said.

According to police, Ahmad was accompanied by Sayed Mushtaq (40) and Shaikh Lala (38), who reported multiple injuries and are under treatment in the government hospital. The survivors told police that cow vigilantes were armed with sticks and rods and stopped their truck and assaulted them without inquiring.

Minutes after the mob intercepted the truck and assaulted them, locals informed the police. Police rushed three to a hospital where Nazir Ahmad succumbed to injuries during treatment, the police said, adding that the family had been informed. They are on their way to Narmadapuram, the police said.

Singh said that 26 cows have been rescued from the truck while two were found dead.

Police have lodged two FIRs in connection with the incident.

"As many as 12 unidentified people have been booked under section 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 147 (rioting) and 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon) of the IPC, while another FIR was lodged for smuggling cows," the SP added.

Lala, who was driving the truck, told reporters that villagers intercepted the vehicle when transporting the cows to a cattle market in Amravati from Nanderwada village in the Narmadapuram district.

"They were armed with sticks and rods and attacked us without inquiring. They also killed Ahmad," he said.

This is the second such incident in Madhya Pradesh in the last three months. On May 2, 2022, two tribals were beaten to death on suspicion of cow slaughtering by a mob of 15 to 20 men associated with Hindutva groups in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district.

The deceased were identified as Sampat Batti, a resident of Sagar, and Simaria, who lived in Dhansa village.

The incident occurred early, between 2.30-3 am, in the Kurai police station limits of Seoni district. The police FIR said that the assailants belong to the Hindutva groups Bajrang Dal and Ram Sena.

Two incidents of mob lynching on the allegations of cow slaughtering and smuggling irked Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja.

Attacking the ruling party, he tweeted, "If anyone had committed the crime, the law would take its course. Reports are coming in that the accused belongs to the ruling BJP, and attempts were made to save them."

Demanding a fair probe, he tweeted, "Similar incidents are happening across Madhya Pradesh. People of the ruling BJP are taking the law into their own hands and killing people. Police should take strict action against the offenders after conducting a fair investigation into the incident."