Nadine Osman
A Muslim man was beaten to death by a Hindutva mob in the Indian eastern state of Jharkhand, in what his family say was a targeted Islamophobic lynching.
Pappu Ansari, 45, a cattle transporter, was killed in Godda district on the night of January 7. His body was found the following morning, in a field between Matihani and Latta villages, within the jurisdiction of Podaiyahat police station.
According to his family, Ansari had travelled to the area to deliver cattle. They say he was later called back under the pretext of settling payment, before being ambushed. The allegation of cattle theft, they insist, was fabricated and used as a justification to attack him because he was Muslim.
“My brother went early in the morning with a driver and took the money,” said Mohammad Naseem, Ansari’s brother. “Later, he was told the cattle would not be handed over and was asked to leave. When he tried to escape, he was attacked from behind and beaten severely.”
Family members allege that once Ansari was detained, the attackers subjected him to extreme violence after identifying him as Muslim.
“They removed his trousers to check his identity, identified him as Muslim, and then killed my brother,” Naseem said.
“He was attacked with a sharp weapon, beaten with sticks, and struck repeatedly. Everyone who had something in their hand attacked him.”
“They kept saying, ‘He is Muslim, kill him.’ Is being Muslim a crime in this country?” he asked.
Relatives said the assault continued for a prolonged period, with the mob using sticks and sharp weapons until Ansari succumbed to his injuries. Police later recovered blood-stained sticks, slippers, a burnt mobile phone, and other items from the scene.
Police officials stated that villagers detained Ansari at around 1 am on suspicion of cattle theft and assaulted him. Senior officers arrived after receiving information about the incident, and the body was sent for a post-mortem examination.
Authorities confirmed that Ansari died as a result of the beating and said investigations were ongoing to identify and arrest those responsible. However, police also claimed that Ansari had previous criminal cases related to cattle and copper theft — allegations his family strongly disputes.
The family maintains that Ansari was a lawful cattle transporter who had been working in the trade for years and possessed the necessary documentation.
The killing has once again drawn attention to India’s long-running pattern of mob violence linked to so-called “cow protection”. Cows are considered sacred by many Hindus, and self-styled vigilante groups, often aligned with Hindutva, a hardline Hindu nationalist ideology, have repeatedly targeted Muslim men involved in the cattle trade. While regulations vary by state, cattle trading and transport remain legal in many parts of India.
Jharkhand has seen several such incidents in recent years, prompting comparisons with earlier lynchings, including the 2019 killing of Tabrez Ansari, who was forced to chant religious slogans before dying from his injuries.
The family said no senior officials or elected representatives had visited them following the killing.
“No elected representative and no senior official came to see us,” Naseem said. “My brother was murdered in a very cruel way. He has five children, four daughters and a young son. What will happen to their future?”
They have called for strict action against those responsible and accountability from the authorities.
“We are citizens of this country. We want justice,” Naseem said. “The administration must give the harshest punishment to the culprits.”
Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that mob lynchings linked to cow protection have created widespread fear among Muslims across India, particularly in rural areas where such attacks often go unpunished. Critics argue that the persistence of these killings reflects a broader climate of impunity and deepening communal polarisation under the influence of Hindutva politics.
Photo: Pappu Ansari, 45, a cattle transporter, was killed in Godda district on the night of January 7.
(Credit:Flickr CC)
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