Commul tension grips Bihar village over beef

A mob led by cow vigilantes on Sunday morning surrounded a house of a Muslim family in Abhgila village in Bhojpur district, about 60 km from Pat, on suspicion of cow slaughter.

“Rumours of killing of a cow spread like wildfire and soon people from neighbouring villages surrounded the Muslim family’s house,” an officer of Sahar police station told IANS. 

However, an elected local body representative on condition of anonymity said that the timely arrival of the police averted a disaster as the mob, instigated by Bajrang Dal activists and Bharatiya Jata Party workers, was about to set ablaze the Muslim family’s house. Exactly a month ago, on August 3, in a first of its kind in Bihar, a mob in Bhojpur led by cow vigilantes thrashed a truck driver and two others on a mere suspicion of transporting beef. All three men were arrested after being rescued from the mob. Last month, in a similar incident, seven Muslims were arrested in Dumra village in West Champaran district for allegedly killing a calf and consuming its meat.

In that case too, a mob of cow vigilantes had surrounded the house of the suspects, demanding the arrested people be handed over to them. When the police refused, the mob staged a protest and pelted the police vehicle with stones, according to local media. (IANS)