Hindutva mob attacks Muslims accusing possession of cattle meat

Aligarh/UP: A Hindutva extremist mob severely thrashed four Muslim men in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh, alleging transportation of cattle meat on Saturday. On Sunday, police registered a case against unidentified people, PTI reported.

The attackers linked to a right-wing group intercepted a vehicle here on Saturday, set it ablaze and attempted to lynch its four occupants. The police managed to defuse the situation and rescue the victims.

On Sunday, they released screenshots from a video of the incident and urged locals to help identify the attackers.

In an official statement, Circle Officer Sarjana Singh said the unidentified attackers were booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The four injured individuals -- identified as Akeel (35), Nadeem (32), Akil (43) and Arbaaj (38) -- are currently receiving treatment at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital. According to hospital officials, two of the admitted victims have internal head injuries and remain in critical condition.

A number of opposition leaders who visited the hospital and met the injured have condemned the incident.

Senior leaders from the Samajwadi Party and Congress have called for a full and impartial probe into the incident and strong action against all those found guilty.

Meanwhile, a family member of one of the victims has filed a complaint against the attackers at Harduaganj police station. Twelve individuals, primarily belonging to right-wing organisations, have been named in the FIR, alongside 25 unnamed persons.

The police had also filed a case against the four injured persons under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Saturday.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Amrit Jain said an investigation is underway.

He added that the meat sample seized on Saturday from the vehicle near Panetti village under Harduaganj police station had been sent to the state laboratory in Mathura to ascertain whether it was the meat of prohibited cattle.