Bhubaneswar: A 35-year-old man died in Odisha’s Balasore on Wednesday after sustaining severe injuries in an alleged assault by cow vigilantes.
The victim, identified as Sk Makandar Mahammad of Astia village, worked as a helper of the van, which was chased by a group of men suspecting illegal cattle transportation. The assault took place at 5 am near Sahada Chhak on the outskirts of Balasore town. While the driver escaped, Mahammad was caught by the assailants, who allegedly beat him with plastic pipes. A widely circulated video purportedly shows the mob assaulting him and forcing him to chant “Jai Shri Ram”, despite his pleas for mercy.
Mahammad was later rescued by police from Balasore Sadar station and was rushed to the district headquarters hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries around 2.40 pm while undergoing treatment.
Mohammed is survived by his wife and three children.
While police initially registered a case under the state’s Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act against the driver and owner of the van, without mentioning the assault, another case was later registered under Section 103(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which addresses mob lynching motivated by prejudice based on religion, race, caste, or sex, based on a complaint by the victim’s brother, Sk Jitendar Mahammad, who named five individuals – Bapu from Sahada village, Pawan from Azimabad, Pintu from Old Balasore, Nepali from Patrapada, and Chinu Telenga from Saragaon – as involved in the attack.
Reports indicate that five suspects have been detained for questioning. Police have also heightened security in the area to prevent unrest, with plainclothes officers monitoring the situation.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders and other organisations. Rabi Behera, president of the Odisha Milk Farmers’ Association, alleged a surge in cow vigilante activities since the Mohan Charan Majhi-led BJP government took office in June 2024, urging stern action. Former Balasore MP and Union minister Srikant Jena demanded immediate arrests of the accused. CPM leader Janardan Pati and Congress leader Amiya Pandav highlighted an apparent rise in mob lynching cases under BJP rule in the state, calling for an end to such violence.
(With inputs from The Indian Express and The Telegraph)
