In August, a group of cow vigilantes lynched a waste-picker Muslim man, Sabir Malik, to death over “suspicions” of consuming beef in Hansawas Khurd village of Charkhi Dadri district, Haryana. The food sample was sent for examination to a lab in Faridabad, which has now revealed that it was not beef but meat from another animal.
The committee analyzing the matter for further court proceedings included animal specialists who scrutinized the food sample and declared the accusations against Sabir Malik to be entirely baseless. These unfounded claims were imposed on him by a Hindutva mob seeking to lynch, harass, and kill him.
According to a report in Jagran, when the police sent the sample for further investigation to the Faridabad lab, it was passed to Sunaria Lab, which then returned the case to the Faridabad lab for inquiry. This process ultimately revealed the actual details.
Accusations, Harassments And Murder
Sabir Malik had come to Haryana from West Bengal, seeking work opportunities to support his wife, Shakina Sardar Malik, and their young daughter. As migrant workers and waste-pickers, they took shelter in Badhra Tehsil, Haryana. The family was already living under the “terror” of the Hindutva mob, who frequently accused them of being Bangladeshi.
The incident occurred in the Hansawas Khurda area when around seven goons took Sabir to the local bus stand, asked for his identity card, and harassed him with hateful slurs. Alongside Sabir, they also targeted and assaulted another migrant Muslim, Asiruddin, who sustained serious injuries and was sent to a hospital for treatment. Sabir was murdered during this brutal attack.
Sabir’s family also told the police that it was not beef as suspected, but they often consume non-vegetarian food because it happens to be part of their food habits and culture.
After the death of 26-year-old Sabir, the family returned to West Bengal, as they had no means to survive in Haryana. The trauma from the incident continues to haunt them to this day.
In the name of consuming or smuggling beef, the cow vigilante groups of Haryana often target lynch and kill people. The fear of “Gau-Rakshak” units becomes more apparent during elections.
In September, Gau-Rakshaks murdered a Hindu boy, Aryan Mishra, in Haryana, accusing him of cow smuggling. This incident stirred up turmoil in the region.
The horrific riots in Nuh, Haryana, were reportedly planned and incited by a mastermind cow vigilante, Bittu Bajrangi, who was arrested on serious charges. However, he somehow managed to secure bail and was found to be actively involved in election campaigns for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Haryana.
