Elham Asaad Buaras
A Muslim truck driver was lynched by a mob of Hindu pilgrims during the annual Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage in Uttar Pradesh after being accused of transporting cattle remains, reports 5Pillars. The August 8 attack in Shahjahanpur district has sparked widespread outrage, exposing both the rise in vigilante violence and the failure of law enforcement to protect minorities.
The incident unfolded in the Patna Devkali area along Badaun Road, under Thana Kalan police station. According to eyewitnesses and local media, Kanwariyas stopped the driver’s truck after detecting a foul odour. Inside, they found animal skins and immediately assumed these were cattle remains—a highly inflammatory allegation in a region where cows are considered sacred.
Instead of alerting authorities, the mob dragged the driver from his vehicle and beat him savagely. Police officers were reportedly present but failed to intervene. The attackers also pelted the truck with stones before setting it ablaze, reducing it to ashes, while law enforcement looked on.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show officers standing idle during the assault. “The police were right there, but they did nothing while he was attacked. When police don’t act, it gives mobs the courage to break the law,” one eyewitness said.
A local Muslim leader condemned the killing and police complicity: “This is not an isolated case. Muslims are being targeted without proof. The driver lost his life because of blind hatred and suspicion. The police must answer for their silence.”
Rights groups say the lynching reflects a broader pattern of anti-Muslim violence linked to cow protection laws, which vigilantes frequently exploit with impunity. Critics argue that under the Hindu nationalist BJP government, perpetrators are rarely held accountable. “The misuse of cow protection laws is being weaponised to persecute innocent people,” one observer noted. “This tragedy exposes the dangerous culture of mob justice that thrives when law enforcement turns a blind eye.”
The Kanwar Yatra, which brings millions of Hindu devotees carrying water from the River Ganges to temples, has in recent years been marred by intimidation and violence against Muslims. Accusations of cattle transport have increasingly led to attacks, deepening fear among minority communities.
Despite public outrage, police have yet to announce any arrests, fuelling concerns about their impartiality. “Timely intervention could have saved his life,” one resident said, criticising law enforcement for enabling mob violence.
The lynching comes amid growing international concern over communal violence in India.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), in its 2025 Annual Report released in March, warned that “Muslims continue to face communal violence under the guise of enforcing cow slaughter laws, with law enforcement frequently failing to provide adequate protection.” It documented more than a dozen “cow vigilante” attacks since the national elections, many resulting in fatalities.
The Centre for the Study of Organised Hate (CSOH) has also reported that over 1,000 Instagram accounts are used by vigilantes to circulate videos of assaults and raise funds. Social media platforms, including Meta, have been criticised for failing to remove such content promptly.
In light of these trends, USCIRF has urged the US State Department to designate India a “Country of Particular Concern,” pressing the Indian government to protect religious minorities and uphold the rule of law.
Map: Uttar Pradesh in northern India, a state where several high-profile incidents of cow vigilante violence have targeted Muslim communities.
ISLAMOPHOBIA INDIA
Muslim schoolboy killed in India as fears grow over rise in anti-Muslim violence
