A truck driver named Arman Khan was brutally assaulted by right-wing members associated with a cow vigilante group for transporting bulls in his vehicle. The incident occurred in Haryana’s Nuh area on Wednesday, December 18.

A video of the assault surfaced on social media platforms showing the extremist group forcing Khan to kneel while interrogating him. The assailants beat Khan and dragged him by his hair, compelling him to repeatedly chant “gau hamari mata hai” (the cow is our mother) and “bail hamara baap hai” (the bull is our father).

On December 18, cow vigilantes assaulted a #Muslim driver of a pickup truck, accusing him of smuggling cows in #Tauru, #Nuh, #Haryana. pic.twitter.com/9jRPgBqIO9

— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) December 21, 2024

Cow vigilantism trend

The incident is part of a broader pattern of violence associated with cow vigilantism in India. Several vigilante groups, often associated with Hindutva ideology have been reported involved in numerous instances of religious vigilantism and hate crimes across India, with the Muslim community being mainly targeted.  

These attacks involve harassment, beating and more severe forms of violence such as lynchings. One of the horrific instances includes Nasir, aged 25 years, and Junaid alias Juna, aged 35 years who were abducted and charred to death by Bajrang Dal members on suspicion of cow-smuggling on February 16, 2023.

Their bodies were found inside a burnt vehicle in Bhiwani district, Haryana.

Cow vigilantism reports

A report released by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) on November 19, covered an alarming rise in mob lynchings targeting Muslims across the country, often justified by perpetrators under the guise of “cow protection” laws.

The report discovered that 95 per cent of cow-vigilante social media accounts where they stream harassment online are operated from states ruled by the BJP, with Haryana emerging as a significant hotspot, making up 320 of the examined records.