A Muslim man was lynched to death by a right wing Hindutva mob in Jharkhand’s Koderma district, which has evoked a strong response from the Chief Minister of the state.
Identified as Maulana Sahabuddin, an Imam from Raghuniyadih, he was lynched by a mob while returning home on his motorcycle.
The mob accused him of causing an accident involving a woman and subsequently beat him to death.
Maulana Sahabuddin’s son, Parvez Alam, detailed that his father, who worked as an Imam and taught children in Barkada District, left Basrao on June 30, 2024, heading towards Bunichowdia on his motorcycle. “Near Ghuthari Kariya, an auto-rickshaw allegedly cut off his path, resulting in a collision that injured Anita Devi, a resident of Khuthari Kar, causing injuries to her hand and nose,” he said.
A mob along with boys playing cricket nearby, quickly gathered at the scene. Despite a local women urging the mob to refrain from violence, they assaulted Sahabuddin with batons and sticks. “My father was bleeding from his nose, and we suspect internal injuries. We urge the authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter,” said Alam.
Police have denied claims of mob violence, asserting that they arrived after the accident and transported Maulana Sahabuddin to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. “His body has been sent for a postmortem,” Police stated.
The state government has responded swiftly to the incident, with Chief Minister Hemant Soren offering his condolences to the victim’s family.
In a statement, Soren reassured the public that justice will be swiftly delivered, emphasizing the administration’s dedication to upholding communal harmony within the state.
This incident marks a disturbing pattern of mob violence that has emerged under Prime Minister Modi’s administration, with seven lynching cases reported since his return to power on June 04.
On 22nd June 2024, in Chikhodra, Gujarat, Salman Vohra was tragically lynched while attending a cricket match. Just days earlier, on 19th June in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, Mohammad Fareed, known as Aurangzeb, was brutally beaten to death, his Muslim identity checked by a mob who stripped him of his clothing.
In Chhattisgarh, on 24th June 2024, Bindu Sodhe faced a horrific attack by relatives wielding bows, arrows, and knives, simply for converting to Christianity.
Earlier in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on 7th June, Saddam Qureshi, Chand Miya Khan, and Guddu Khan were lynched while transporting cattle, reflecting another disturbing instance of communal violence.
In Assam on 22nd June, two Muslim brothers were fatally shot by forest guards in what their families and civil groups allege was a staged encounter.