Bengal scrap collector lynched in Haryana over alleged beef consumption
A 26-year-old scrap collector from West Bengal was brutally beaten to death by a mob in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri district over suspicions of consuming beef. The victim, identified as Sabir Malik, was lured to a local bus stand on August 27 by three men under the pretense of selling scrap. According to the First Information Report (FIR), he was then targeted by a crowd who accused him of eating beef.
Victim suspected to be a Bangladeshi
"He went with them but did not return home by the evening of August 27," Babar Ali Mallik, the victim's uncle said. "We have a few relatives in the area and they later identified one of the suspects as someone belonging to a cow vigilante group. That person had previously threatened them for having meat. As my nephew was speaking Bengali, he was falsely suspected to be a Bangladeshi," Babar added.
Video evidence captures brutal assault on Malik
A video accessed by News18 captured part of the assault, which showed the attackers using rods. The accused—Abhishek, Mohit, Ravinder, Kamaljit and Sahil—confronted Malik and another migrant from Assam with accusations of eating beef. Despite intervention attempts by some bystanders, the attackers moved the victims to a separate location where they continued their assault until Malik succumbed to his injuries.
Police action and legal proceedings underway
The police have arrested five individuals and detained two juveniles in connection with the attack. A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Malik was a resident of Jibantala in South 24-Parganas. He had been living in Badhra, Haryana, with his wife for the past three years, The Telegraph reported.
