Four Muslims lynched in Aligarh on suspicion of carrying cow meat
Aligarh: In a horrifying incident of mob violence, four Muslim men were brutally lynched in broad daylight in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh state of India on mere suspicion of transporting cow meat, triggering widespread outrage and raising questions over growing communal vigilantism in India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident occurred near Aligarh. The victims—Saleem Khan, his nephew Aqeel Ibrahim, and two labourers—were attacked by a mob allegedly affiliated with Hindutva outfits while en route to a mandi from Atrauli. Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers, led by Ramkumar Arya and Arjun alias Bholu, first demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000 before launching a violent assault when the victims refused.
Armed with sticks, rods, and batons, the mob left the men severely injured before looting their belongings and setting their vehicle ablaze. Disturbingly, bystanders filmed the incident while police allegedly failed to intervene in time.
The victims are currently hospitalized in serious condition. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Amrit Jain confirmed that the victims’ documents were in order and that the meat in question, seized from the vehicle, was confirmed to be buffalo meat—a legal commodity. He also assured that a thorough investigation is ongoing.
Despite the FIR, human rights activists remain skeptical about the possibility of justice. “There is a clear pattern: Muslims are targeted under the pretext of cow protection, while the state turns a blind eye,” said a local activist.
This lynching is the latest in a series of similar attacks targeting Muslims in India, highlighting the continued weaponization of cow protection laws to justify communal violence.
