A mob attack in Mehgaon, Madhya Pradesh, has left one young man dead and another fighting for life, after they were brutally beaten over allegations of cow smuggling. The incident took place shortly after midnight on June 5 near the Mehgaon temple.
The victims, including a man named Junaid, were reportedly transporting six to ten cows when a group claiming to be cow protectors intercepted them. Eyewitness accounts and viral videos show the mob severely assaulting the two men, leaving them gravely injured.
Both victims were rushed to Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal, admitted to the ICU, with Junaid placed on ventilator support. Despite medical efforts, Junaid succumbed to his injuries on the morning of June 17, while the other victim remains in critical condition.
In footage that surfaced after the attack, a man named Dhruv Chaturvedi, who identified himself as part of the cow protection group, claimed, “We got information that cows were tied near the Mehgaon temple. When we chased the vehicle, we were attacked with stones. We saved the cows by risking our lives.”
However, in another video, police officer Anandilal Suryavanshi can be seen reprimanding Chaturvedi, saying, “What you did to your driver — that beating — was wrong. You should have informed the police instead of taking the law into your own hands.”
Junaid’s grieving father told media, “My son was innocent. He worked as a labourer. Even if he was carrying cows, why couldn’t this be investigated properly? Who gave the mob the right to kill him? What kind of country are we becoming?”
Sanchi police station in-charge Nitin Ahirwar confirmed that three to four accused have been arrested, while more than 10 others remain at large. A search operation is underway in Vidisha and surrounding areas. An FIR has been registered with charges including attempt to murder and rioting with deadly weapons.
