Two Muslims lynched to death in India on suspicion of cattle theft

An angry mob in India lynched two Muslim men on suspicion of stealing cattle in Jharkhand on Wednesday morning, local media reported.

Hindustan Times quoted police saying residents of Dullu village caught hold of the two victims – Sirabuddin Ansari (35) and Murtaza Ansari (30) – and accused them of stealing 13 buffaloes from one Munshi Murmu on Tuesday night.

“Villagers claim that that they found the missing buffaloes in the possession of the two people in Bankatti area. They were beaten to death,” said Godda superintendent of police Rajiv Kumar Singh.

Murmu and three others – identified as Kaleshwar Soren, Kishan Tudu and Harjohan Kisku – have been arrested in this connection, said Singh, adding that the situation has been brought under control.

The incident comes a week after two men were lynched by a mob in Assam over rumours of child-lifting. 

At least five people were killed in similar incidents of vigilantism across Telangana and Karnataka in May.

Last year, a number of Muslim cattle traders were lynched in BJP-ruled Jharkhand.

 In May, a mob lynched four Muslim cattle traders at a village in Saraikelka Kharswan district after accusing them of child-trafficking.