Muslim woman arrested in India over video mentioning beef
Muslim domestic worker from West Bengal jailed after posting video claiming she cooked beef for BJP chief minister
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Muslim domestic worker from eastern India has been arrested after posting a social media video claiming she cooked beef for newly sworn-in West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, a senior BJP leader.
The arrest of Jyotsna Bibi, originally from West Bengal’s South Dinajpur district, comes amid continuing disputes over beef consumption and cow politics that have increasingly triggered criminal cases and religious tensions across India.
Bibi worked as a domestic worker in Gurugram, a city near India’s capital New Delhi, where she was arrested over the weekend.
Police said the arrest followed complaints alleging that a video uploaded by Bibi hurt religious sentiments. Authorities seized her mobile phone for forensic examination and launched an investigation.
According to police documents, the complaint was filed after a video circulated online in which Bibi allegedly said she had cooked beef for West Bengal’s chief minister and referenced Eid al-Adha, an Islamic festival during which animal sacrifice is commonly practiced.
Police registered a criminal case after local resident Dinesh Yadav filed a complaint, leading to Bibi’s arrest and subsequent judicial custody.
A local court later rejected her bail request and scheduled further hearings on June 8.
Police argued against granting bail, saying she could potentially influence witnesses if released.
The arrest comes days after authorities in West Bengal introduced tighter regulations on cattle slaughter during Eid al-Adha, requiring official certification and restricting public slaughter practices.
Although beef consumption remains legal in parts of India, disputes surrounding cattle slaughter have become increasingly politicized over the past decade as Hindu nationalist groups and politicians associated with the BJP have intensified campaigns around cow protection.
Civil rights advocates and minority groups have repeatedly argued that cow-related laws and social campaigns have increasingly been used to target Muslims through arrests, mob violence, public intimidation and social pressure.
The case has renewed debate over freedom of expression and selective enforcement of religious sentiment laws in a country where food practices vary significantly across regions and communities.
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