THE obsession of killing humans in the name of cow protection has now reached Chhattisgarh. Despite the clear murder and identification of some of the killers, if a case of culpable homicide is being made against unknown attackers, then it seems that the killers have got permission from the top to carry out mob lynching in the name of cow protection. The killers identified by a victim who survived are habitual criminals and cases are already registered against them.

This incident of mob lynching in the name of cow protection took place on the night of June 6-7, in Arang, about 40 km away from capital Raipur. The sporadic statements given by the police and the piecemeal information received from various sources together reveal the magnitude of the incident, which the local media of the state tried to present as a very minor incident. It was only after some national media exposed this heinous crime against minorities that the BJP government of Chhattisgarh had to form an SIT to investigate this incident.

Briefly, the entire incident is that some cattle traders had bought buffaloes from a village in Mahasamund, which were being taken to Odisha by three drivers living in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. All three drivers belonged to the minority Muslim community. Some people from the Hindu community associated with one of the various cow protection organisations that have mushroomed in the state chased the vehicle from Patewa area of Mahasamund district. They had already laid nails on the Mahanadi bridge to stop the vehicle. Police have found a large number of nails on the bridge. After the truck loaded with buffaloes got punctured and stopped, a group of 15-20 people attacked them. After beating the three, the attackers threw Chand Miya and Guddu Khan on the rock of the dry river flowing under the bridge, due to which both of them died. Saddam's condition remains critical and he is undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Raipur.

During this attack, the deceased Chand Mian called Shoaib and the injured Saddam called Mohsin. Chand's call was disconnected immediately, but Mohsin's call lasted for 20 minutes. Shoaib said that in the call Saddam can be heard saying that his hands and legs are broken and he is pleading the attackers to leave him. Shoaib said that I think Saddam had kept the phone in his pocket during the call, he did not disconnect the call, so everything was clearly audible. This means that this attack (mob lynching) must have lasted for at least an hour. Shoaib alleges that the attackers are people associated with Bajrang Dal.

The police have recovered 24 buffaloes from the truck and registered a case against the unidentified assailants under Sections 304, 307 of the IPC. After a national uproar, an SIT has now been formed.

From this piecemeal account, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. The buffaloes were purchased from a village in Mahasamund. The Muslim drivers were taking these buffaloes to Odisha. This is a clean business of cattle purchase. Despite this, these traders belonging to the minority community are being maligned as cow smugglers. This is what has been emphasized in the media reporting. The administration is trying its best to downplay this incident and the BJP always maintains silence on such attacks.

2. The attackers and the victims know each other. Some of the people identified by Saddam are habitual criminals living in Raipur. According to Saddam, these people let those vehicles pass which offer Cash fund ('Chadhawa'). Hence, the suspicion is strong that due to not offering Chadhawa, they have been attacked in a planned manner and have been publicised as cow smugglers.

3. The attackers were following the truck from a long distance and for a long time. If they suspected cow smuggling, why did they not inform the police instead of taking the law into their own hands?

4. Since this attack and mob lynching was pre-planned, the murder is also pre-planned and not unintentional as the police have registered the case. An attempt is being made to cover up the murder of these members of the minority community under the protection of the government by raising the issue of cow smuggling.

The government has a responsibility to protect the lives and property of its citizens. Based on these conclusions, the question that must be asked is whether the rule of law will prevail in Chhattisgarh under the BJP rule or will mob lynching be encouraged in the name of cow? India today ranks second in the world in terms of beef export and is a major source of foreign exchange earnings. All the exporting companies belong to Hindus, from whom the BJP has illegally collected thousands of crores of rupees for its election fund through electoral bonds. When beef companies owned by Hindus can run, how can attacks and killings of the minority community, who earn their livelihood through cattle trade, be justified? Taking election donations from beef companies and the planned killings of Muslims in the name of cow fall under which category of 'nationalism and patriotism'?

The BJP's silence on this horrific communal incident and the government's inaction clearly shows what kind of Chhattisgarh it wants to build in the coming days? The BJP wants to push Chhattisgarh into the darkness of anarchy, where the constitution and law are not followed, but Manusmriti and communal goons rule.

Chhattisgarh Kisan Sabha has demanded the arrest of all the criminals on the basis of available primary evidence and register a murder case against them, give compensation of Rs 50 lakh each to the families of those killed in mob lynching and Rs 20 lakh to the injured, provide protection to cattle trade and stop attacks on traders and their transporters.