Two Muslim men were beaten to death by cow vigilantes while transporting buffaloes in a vehicle in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on Friday morning. Chand Miya (23) and Guddu Khan (35) were discovered dead in the Mahanadi river. Saddam Qureshi (23), a third victim, was badly injured and is being treated at a Raipur hospital.
The victims, from Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur and Shamli districts, were on their way to Odisha with truck loaded with buffalos when the attack took place. The event occurred on Friday in the Arang neighbourhood, when a group of young people noticed the truck and began pursuing it. The mob eventually cornered the car on the Mahanadi Bridge.
Indian Express reported that the attackers used spikes to stop the vehicle before forcing its occupants out and assaulting them. In a desperate attempt to flee, one of the victims plunged into the river. Witnesses said the mob accused the victims of cow smuggling, which prompted the horrific attack.
Family members of the victims have claimed they were lynched. A cousin of the victims stated that between 2 and 4 a.m. on Friday, the men made many calls home, appealing for help. During one of these 47-minute calls, Qureshi could be heard screaming and imploring the attackers to spare their lives. The relative claimed hearing the assailants ask the men about the buffaloes’ whereabouts before the call stopped abruptly.
“We could also hear some men ask him, ‘kahan se laaye ho…chodenge nahi [where did you bring it from…we will not spare you],’” recounted the cousin. “Chand Miya told us they were being assaulted, then someone snatched his phone. We didn’t call the police at the time since we didn’t think it would go to such an extent.”
The family continued to try and reach Chand Miya, but the calls went unanswered until around 5 am when a police officer informed them of his death.
The police stated that they received information about the men being chased by unidentified persons, leading to the tragic discovery of their bodies below the Mahanadi bridge. Additional Superintendent of Police Kirtan Rathore reported that upon receiving the information, their team rushed to the spot. “While one of them had died, two were rushed to a hospital in Mahasamund, where another succumbed. The third is in a serious condition at a hospital in Raipur city,” said Rathore.
While the post-mortem report is yet to arrive, Rathore mentioned that the bodies suffered from external injuries. However, it is not clear whether these injuries took place before or after the fall from the bridge. “They fell off the bridge from a height of around 30 feet and landed on stones,” he explained. “Only doctors can clarify how the injuries were caused.”
The police are investigating CCTV footage along the road but have yet to locate conclusive evidence of a mob lynching. Statements from the victims’ relatives will be recorded, and the victim’s phone records will be scrutinised as part of the ongoing inquiry.
