Godda: A 46-year-old cattle transporter was brutally beaten to death by a mob near the Jharkhand-Bihar border on Wednesday night, sparking allegations from his family that he was targeted because of his Muslim identity.
The victim, identified as Pappu Ansari, a resident of Ranipur village in Jharkhand’s Godda district, was returning from the Shyam Bazaar cattle market in Bihar’s Banka district when the incident occurred in the Sugabathan area.
According to a First Information Report (FIR) filed on Thursday based on a complaint by Ansari’s wife, Ayesha Begum, the vehicle was intercepted by a group of unknown individuals around 11 p.m. The complaint states that the mob interrogated Ansari, specifically asking for his name, before launching a fatal assault using sharp weapons including axes, farsas, and arrows. He died on the spot, and his body was later discovered dumped in a nearby field.
Ansari’s family has strongly rejected claims of illegal activity, asserting that he was a legitimate transporter with valid documentation who had been in the business for years. His brother-in-law, Furqan Ansari, stated that Pappu owned a pickup truck used to transport cattle between markets legally.
Furqan, citing the driver who was with the victim, recounted that the mob, comprising nearly 25 people, stopped the vehicle on the pretext of questioning. As the situation turned violent, Pappu urged the driver and others to flee with the vehicle. While they managed to escape, Pappu was cornered.
"This has nothing to do with cattle theft. It is about religion," Furqan told The Indian Express, claiming that the violence escalated only after the attackers confirmed Ansari's name and religious identity.
Godda Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar confirmed that a case has been registered and an investigation is currently underway to identify the perpetrators. The incident adds to growing concerns regarding vigilantism in the region involving cattle traders.