Days after a migrant worker from West Bengal was allegedly lynched by cow vigilantes in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri district, the state's Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini, ignited controversy with comments seemingly justifying such actions.
At a press conference in Chandigarh on Saturday, Saini questioned who could stop villagers "who revere cows" from taking extreme steps, prompting sharp criticism from various quarters.
The lynching incident occurred on 27 August in Hansawas Khurd village, Badhra, where Sabir Malik, a 26-year-old ragpicker, was allegedly beaten to death by a group of men who accused him of consuming beef.
A video purportedly showing the brutal assault surfaced on social media on Saturday, where a large crowd could be seen beating Sabir with sticks and rods.
The authenticity of the video, however, remains unverified.
Responding to the incident, Saini asserted, "A strict law has been made in the legislative assembly for cow protection, and no compromise can be made on this.
If those who are creating such situations realise the amount of reverence people in villages have for cows, they would understand.”
He added, “If people from villages come forward, who can stop them? I want to say that such incidents should not happen, and they are unfortunate. I also want to urge people not to get involved in such actions. They should avoid them.”
Saini’s comments, perceived by many as a tacit endorsement of vigilantism, drew criticism from across the political spectrum.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Dharambir Singh, representing the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency which includes Charkhi Dadri, condemned the lynching as "shameful" and devoid of any justification under the guise of cow protection.
“It is surprising that people are seeing this happen. I don’t see cow protection in this. This is not an issue to create politics. This incident has shamed humanity,” Singh said.
He further vowed to demand strict action against the perpetrators
.
Opposition leaders, too, condemned the lynching and the chief minister's remarks.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra took to social media, calling the incident a “killing by BJP-fuelled hatred” and demanding justice for the victim. “Haryana cow vigilantes kill 26-year-old migrant Sabir from Bengal on suspicions that he ate beef. Justice is required for him too & countless like him killed by BJP-fuelled hatred,” Moitra wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Aftab Ahmed, a Congress MLA from Nuh, alleged a breakdown of law and order in Haryana and demanded stringent action against those involved in the lynching.
Sequence of events leading to the lynching
According to the police, the violence erupted over suspicions of beef consumption by some migrant families living in makeshift shacks in Hansawas Khurd village.
Members of a self-styled cow protection group arrived in the village, searched the shacks, and found meat in some vessels. Accusing the residents of consuming beef, the group allegedly assaulted one man, identified as Sabruddin, and alerted the police.
Officers from Badhra police station took several people, along with the seized meat, to the station for further investigation.
The cow protection group then lodged a complaint against the migrant families. Subsequently, a doctor was called to take samples of the meat for identification.
However, tensions escalated when some members of the vigilante group left the police station and returned to the shacks on Jui Road. According to the First Information Report (FIR), they allegedly lured Sabir Malik to the Badhra bus stop, under the pretext of giving him scrap materials. Sabir, along with another ragpicker, Aseeruddin, was then brutally beaten by the group.
Despite local residents’ attempts to intervene, the attackers took the two men away on a bike, claiming they were headed to the police station. Hours later, Sabir’s body was discovered near Bhandwa village.
Police action
On 28 August, Badhra police registered a murder case following a complaint filed by Sabir Malik's brother-in-law, Sujauddin Sardar.
Seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the case, including five adults—Abhishek alias Shaka, Ravinder alias Kaliya, Mohit, Kamaljeet, and Sahil alias Pappi—and two minors.
The minors have been sent to a juvenile home in Faridabad, as confirmed by a press release issued by Charkhi Dadri police.
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