Cow vigilante violence: 3 Muslims lynched in India over the past two weeks

Lynching of Muslims over suspicions of eating or killing cows has regrettably become a routine in Modi’s India. Amid the fervor of the Indian elections, three Muslim men were lynched by cow vigilantes in the past 16 days.

These recent killings occurred in two separate incidents. The first involved Mishri Khan Jume Khan Baloch, who was attacked by “gau rakshaks” (cow protectors) allegedly associated with the Bajrang Dal in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district on May 23.

The second incident resulted in the deaths of Chand Miyan (23) and Guddu Khan (35) in Raipur district, Chhattisgarh, on June 8, while their associate, Saddam Qureshi (23), sustained serious injuries.

Mishri Khan was transporting two buffaloes for his sister after purchasing them from a market in Banaskantha district on May 23. It’s important to note that only cows are considered sacred by many Hindus. Mishri was accompanied by his friend Hussain Khan when they were allegedly intercepted by Akherajsinh Parbatsinh Vaghela, Nikulsinh, Jagatsinh, Pravinsinh, and Hamirbhai Thakor.

Mishri’s relatives mentioned that he and Hussain had previously been harassed by the same mob in July 2023, leading them to file a police complaint. The accused were reportedly angry about this.

The incident came to light because Mishri’s friend Fazal Khan recorded a video of the crime scene, fearing evidence would be tampered with. Mishri, the sole breadwinner of his family, leaves behind a visually impaired wife and four children.