Assam: Mob kills 2 Muslims accusing them of cattle theft

Guwahati: Two Muslim men were allegedly lynched by a mob and another seriously injured in Assam’s Sonitpur district near the Arunachal Pradesh border in the early hours of Friday, in a brutal incident that has once again raised concerns over violence targeting Muslims in cases linked to cattle-related allegations.

According to The Indian Express, the attack occurred in the remote Bhalukpong area around 3.30 am. Police said a group was accused of attempting to steal three cows from a village when local residents allegedly noticed the incident, chased the men and assaulted them. Two of the victims died from the mob attack, while a third survived with injuries.

Sonitpur Senior Superintendent of Police Barun Purkayastha told The Indian Express that the victims belonged to a minority community from Morigaon district. Police recovered the cattle and the vehicle allegedly used by the group.

Authorities have registered two separate cases—one relating to the alleged cattle theft and another concerning the lynching. However, no arrests had been made in the mob violence case at the time of reporting. Police said the investigation faces significant challenges because the village is located in a remote forested region lacking CCTV cameras or other surveillance systems that could help identify those involved in the assault.

The lynching occurred a day after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighted the state government's crackdown on alleged cattle smuggling ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, stating that hundreds of suspected cattle thieves had been arrested this year and large quantities of beef seized.

The killings have intensified concerns among rights activists and opposition groups over anti-Muslim mob violence and cow vigilantism. Critics argue that Muslims are frequently targeted in cases involving cattle trade, transportation or beef consumption, while accountability in mob lynching incidents often remains elusive.