A mob assaulted two Muslim men, suspecting them of carrying beef in Nashik, Maharashtra.
The attack resulted in the death of Affan Abdul Majeed Ansari, a 32-year-old resident of Mumbai’s Kurla area, while his friend Nasir Ghulam Hussain Qureshi is currently receiving medical treatment, reported Muslim Mirror.
The duo were travelling in a car when they were abruptly stopped and subjected to a brutal assault by men claiming to be cow vigilantes.
Ansari’s family said that the attackers were associated with cow vigilante groups as well as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bajrang Dal.
“The attackers, consisting of approximately 26 individuals with right-wing affiliations, violently assaulted them inside the car, restraining their hands and subjecting them to a continuous and brutal beating lasting for three hours. Affan lost his life in the immediate aftermath. Upon examining their vehicle, we found no evidence of cow meat present,” his uncle Mohd Asghar told local media.
Following the incident, authorities have taken action by registering a case against a group of 15 unidentified individuals involved in the attack.
“On reaching the spot, we found the car in a damaged condition. The injured men were inside the car and we admitted them to a nearby hospital where one of them died,” Nashik Rural deputy SP Sunil Bhamre told Lokmat Times.
“Based on the complaint filed by the injured person, we have registered a case of murder and rioting and are currently investigating the matter,” he said.
Bhamre mentioned that the meat discovered in the car owned by the two Muslim men has been sent for forensic examination to establish whether it was beef or buffalo meat.