Muslim cattle trader lynched by mob in India

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A mob has lynched a Muslim cattle trader in northeastern India after accusing him of stealing cattle his family says he had legally purchased, in the latest killing linked to livestock accusations that have repeatedly fueled violence against Muslims in the Hindu-majority country.

Jalilur Rahman, 46, was beaten to death early Wednesday in Bagber village in Tripura state while taking two cattle to a weekly market. Police confirmed that Rahman had purchased the animals and said he had no criminal record.

According to Maktoob Media, an Indian digital news outlet, Rahman’s family said he bought the cattle from local farmer Anukul Debnath the previous day but went to collect them before dawn because he planned to take them to a cattle market at Bagan Bazar later Wednesday.

At around 4:30 a.m., residents allegedly stopped Rahman as he was moving the animals and accused him of being a cattle thief. A mob then surrounded him and severely beat him, leaving him with multiple injuries, including fractures to his arms and legs.

Despite his injuries, Rahman managed to call his family and tell them he was being attacked. His wife and father-in-law rushed to the scene but were also allegedly assaulted when they tried to rescue him.

Police later took Rahman to Kalyanpur Hospital, where he was declared dead.

The killing adds to a years-long pattern of mob attacks in India in which Muslims have been assaulted or killed over accusations involving cows and cattle, including allegations of slaughter, theft or illegal transportation.

Such violence gained particular notoriety alongside the political rise of Hindu nationalism over the past decade, as self-styled cow-protection groups targeted Muslims and Dalits involved in cattle trading, meat production and animal transport.

Cows are considered sacred by many Hindus, and slaughter is banned or heavily restricted across much of India. But cow protection has also increasingly become a communal flashpoint, with Muslim cattle traders and transporters facing harassment and violence even before allegations against them are established.

Tripura itself has witnessed previous cattle-related lynchings. In 2022, Muslim man Litan Miah was beaten to death by a mob on suspicion of stealing cattle in the state’s Sepahijala district. Police later said they found no evidence that he had stolen any animals.

Rahman’s family is now demanding a transparent investigation into his killing, including examination of CCTV footage, mobile phones and the unexplained movement of the motorcycle he had used to reach the farmer’s house.

The killing has triggered protests and demands for arrests, while regional political leaders have visited Rahman’s family and called for those responsible to be prosecuted.

Police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

Rahman is survived by his wife and two children.