Muslim man lynched in India by Hindu extremist cow vigilantes
32-year-old beaten to death in state of Rajasthan after mob accused him of cattle smuggling, exposing deepening Hindutva violence against Muslims
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Muslim man has died after being lynched by Hindu extremist cow vigilantes in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, highlighting how mob violence tied to Hindutva politics continues to spread across India.
According to Indian Media, 32-year-old Aasif Multani of Madhya Pradesh was traveling through Bhilwara district, Rajasthan, with his associate Mohsin after legally purchasing a bull at a local fair on September 16. Their pickup truck was blocked on the highway at night by vigilantes, who dragged them out and accused them of cattle smuggling.
Aasif’s cousin, who later filed a police complaint, said the assailants robbed him of 36,000 Indian rupees (about $405) and even demanded an additional ransom of 50,000 rupees to spare his life.
While Mohsin managed to flee, Aasif was left with critical head injuries. He was moved from a Bhilwara hospital to Jaipur, the state capital, but succumbed three days later. He leaves behind a wife and two children.
Police have arrested five men — identified in the complaint as members of a local vigilante group — and charged them under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, India’s new criminal code. Yet, in a move widely criticized by rights advocates, authorities also registered a separate case against the victims for alleged cow smuggling, a tactic often used to shield Hindu mobs while criminalizing Muslims.
Analysts say such incidents reflect a broader pattern: the normalization of lynchings under the guise of cow protection, a cornerstone of Hindutva ideology.
Over the past decade, vigilante groups have operated with growing impunity, weaponizing religious identity to police trade, land, and movement. The killings serve as a warning to Muslims that their livelihoods, faith practices, and even survival remain under threat in Narendra Modi’s India.
Aasif’s death underscores how vigilante violence is not just random brutality but part of a political project — one that recasts India’s public life around Hindu supremacy while erasing the rights and safety of its Muslim minority.
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