Indian Police Publicly Parade Muslim Men Over False Cow Slaughter Rumour in Madhya Pradesh
In Madhya Pradesh, India, nine Muslim men were arrested and publicly paraded by police after a false rumour of cow slaughter in Damoh district ignited mob violence. Despite evidence showing the animal was a buffalo, whose slaughter is legal, the men were charged under the cow slaughter law. Rights groups condemned the police for bias and targeting Muslims while ignoring Hindu attackers, highlighting growing communal tensions and impunity for hate crimes.
The article reports on an incident in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district where nine Muslim men, including a local Congress leader, were arrested and forcibly paraded through the streets after a false rumour of cow slaughter incited attacks by Hindu nationalist mobs against a Muslim-majority neighborhood known for its meat trade. Police found a severed buffalo head rather than a cow’s, yet charged the men under the Cow Slaughter Prohibition Act. Eyewitnesses and victims claimed the police sided with attackers, allowing Hindu mobs to roam free while humiliating the Muslim men by publicly parading them handcuffed. Rights groups and local politicians criticized this selective enforcement as communal bias, noting the escalating pattern of violence against Muslims linked to cow protection laws in India. The event exemplifies deeper communal divisions, with police failing to protect minorities and instead using laws to intimidate them. The incident fits into a broader trend since the rise of the Hindu nationalist BJP government, where cow-related rumours spur mob violence and police inaction towards perpetrators. Some Hindu residents also voiced concerns about the police response, warning that ignoring perpetrators and punishing victims could fuel hatred. Human rights organizations warn this pattern erodes justice and deepens India's communal rifts. As of the report, the nine men remain imprisoned, denied justice and subjected to public humiliation.
