Beef Blamed: Elderly beaten on Maharashtra train, migrant lynched in Haryana on ’suspicion’ of carrying cow meat

A 26-year-old migrant worker from West Bengal was allegedly beaten to death in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri district over suspicion that he had eaten beef. According to the Haryana police, at least seven people who are part of a cow vigilante group have been arrested for the lynching.

The deceased, who was identified as Sabir Malik, was killed on Tuesday.

The police said the accused, who had suspected that the victim had eaten beef, called Malik at a shop under the pretense of selling empty plastic bottles. They then beat him up. However, a few people intervened after which the accused took the victim to another location and beat him again, leading to his death.

The accused have been identified as Abhishek, Mohit, Ravinder, Kamaljeet and Sahil.

Malik lived in a shanty near Bandhra village in Charkhi Dadri district and collected waste and rag for a living.

Similarly, an elderly man was allegedly assaulted by his co-passengers in an express train near Igatpuri in Maharashtra's Nashik district on suspicion that he was carrying beef.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) has initiated a probe after a video of the alleged incident, which took place earlier this week, surfaced on social media, an official said.

The video shows a dozen people assaulting a man and verbally abusing him inside a train.

The victim, identified as Haji Ashraf Munyar, a resident of Jalgaon district, was travelling to his daughter's house in Kalyan when he was allegedly beaten up by his co-passengers.

Condemning the lynching in Haryana, state's Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said such kind of incidents should be stopped. He also promised action against those who are responsible for the matter.

While a leader of Sharad Pawar's NCP camp in Maharashtra, Jitendra Awhad criticised the Igatpuri incident and blamed the law and order situation in the state.

"Some youngsters beat him up because they thought he was carrying beef. This is not Maharashtra. This is not our culture. Where will this stop," he questioned.

Awhad also highlighted that 80 per cent people in Maharashtra are non-vegetarians, “this is our Maharashtra”.

"95 per cent of the people on the coastal line are non-vegetarians. We respect all religions. We respect Jains too, but what's this hate of beating people on the basis of suspicion? They would have run away by now too. How are they not ashamed to beat someone, who is as old as your father," he added.