Alleged Beef Possession Leads to Public Beating of Muslim Man in India’s Bihar
The victim, Ahmed Azad, was stopped on Saturday, December 27, while travelling by motorbike through the Mathiya area of Gopalganj district.
Eyewitnesses said Azad was stopped by a group of men described by local residents as being linked to Hindu nationalist groups. The men allegedly searched his belongings on the roadside without any legal authority and claimed to have found a box they said contained beef.
In several Indian states, including Bihar, the slaughter or sale of cow meat is restricted or banned under state law. Rights groups and legal experts have long warned that such laws are frequently misused to harass or attack Muslims, many of whom are involved in the meat trade.
As more people gathered at the scene, Azad was tied to an electric pole and beaten in public. Videos circulating on social media show him pleading for help as he is assaulted.
Residents said the beating continued for some time before police arrived, and that the attack took place in cold weather.
In one video, a man can be heard saying: “We have caught him with banned meat. There is a temple nearby. He had bad intentions.” Another voice alleges that Azad’s motorbike was stolen. No evidence supporting either claim has been established.
A local shopkeeper who witnessed the incident, but asked not to be named, described the scene as distressing. “He was crying and asking for help, but people were afraid. No one dared to intervene,” the shopkeeper said.
Police officers later reached the spot and rescued Azad. His motorbike and the alleged meat were seized, and he was taken into custody. Police said he was sent to judicial custody as investigations continue.
A police officer told reporters: “We received information and reached the spot. The man was rescued and legal action has been initiated. The matter is under investigation.”
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Police did not immediately confirm whether any of the individuals involved in the assault were detained at the scene.
Several residents criticized the attack, saying any allegations should have been handled by authorities. “If there was any wrongdoing, the police should have dealt with it. Beating a man like this in public is unacceptable,” a local resident said.
Human rights activists said the incident reflects a wider pattern in India, where Muslims have increasingly been targeted on the basis of suspicion, particularly in cases involving cows or beef meat.
A Patna-based rights activist said vigilante violence continues in the absence of swift accountability. “When attackers are not immediately held to account, it creates fear and reinforces a sense of impunity,” the activist said.
India has witnessed multiple lynchings and assaults on Muslims in recent years linked to allegations of cow slaughter or beef consumption. Rights organizations have repeatedly warned that weak enforcement against Hindu vigilante groups has allowed such attacks to continue.
Investigations into the assault on Ahmed Azad are ongoing. Members of the Muslim community in Gopalganj said the incident has heightened fears and reinforced a sense of insecurity, with many expressing concern that similar attacks would occur again.
Source: 5pillarsuk.com
