ISLAMABAD: Authorities in eastern India arrested two men in connection with a mob killing while disputing family allegations that the attack was religiously motivated, a case that reflects broader tensions over religious identity and vigilante violence in the world's most populous ‘democracy’.
Police in Jharkhand state arrested Munnilal Marandi and Anant Marandi on Jan. 10, three days after a mob of 20 to 25 people beat 45-year-old Pappu Ansari to death near the state's border with Bihar. Both suspects confessed and named additional accomplices, according to Godda district police.
The arrests came as investigators maintain the attack stemmed from cattle theft suspicions, while Ansari's family and legal representatives insist it was a hate crime targeting Muslims.
The divergent narratives reflect a pattern documented by the Centro for the Study of Organized Hate, a US rights monitoring group tracking mob violence cases. The organization's report shows authorities frequently attribute cattle-related killings to theft disputes while victims' families cite religious targeting.
Cattle trade and religious tensions
Ansari, a Muslim cattle trader and transporter, was returning from a cattle market in Bihar when his vehicle was intercepted in Matihani village on the night of Jan. 7. His associates escaped, but Ansari was cornered and attacked with axes and sticks, local police said.
Cows are considered sacred in Hinduism, practiced by roughly 80% of India's 1.4 billion people. Several states have enacted laws restricting cattle slaughter and trade in recent years.
Critics say the legislation has emboldened vigilante groups that target Muslims, who constitute about 14% of India's population and are traditionally involved in cattle trading and meat industries.
Godda Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar told reporters the mob acted on theft suspicions. The local Indian police claimed the victim had a criminal record and had been jailed previously.
Ansari's family rejected the theft allegations. In statements to local journalists, they said attackers identified his religious identity before assaulting him.
"They took off his pants and tried to determine his religion," independent journalist Ashraf Hussain wrote on social media, citing family allegations. "He was murdered because of his religious identity."
Political context
The killing occurred in Jharkhand, a state of 38 million people governed by a coalition led by the regional Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party with the Indian National Congress. The coalition took power in 2024, opposing the hardliner Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, which governs nationally and in most northern states.
Modi's BJP, which draws support from Hindu nationalist groups, has faced criticism from rights groups over rising communal tensions and insufficient response to mob violence targeting Muslims. Party leaders reject such claims.
Representatives from the governing JMM condemned Ansari's killing. Party leader Rizwan Krantikari said those responsible would not be spared, according to Indian media reports.
Kumar formed a Special Investigation Team led by Deputy Superintendent JPN Chaudhary to track remaining suspects. Police have not announced additional arrests.
Documented pattern
The Centre for the Study of Organised Hate documented a pattern of mob violence linked to cattle-related accusations in Jharkhand and northern India dating to 2015.
The group cited Mohammad Akhlaq's 2015 killing in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, over beef storage rumors and Alimuddin Ansari's 2017 death in Ramgarh, Jharkhand, on cow smuggling suspicions.
The organization documented three similar incidents in early 2025 before Ansari's death, including Mohammad Sharif, who died in March after being assaulted during Hindu Holi celebrations in Uttar Pradesh while observing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The center said victims are predominantly Muslim men and that most attacks are carried out by Hindu vigilante groups. The report cited inflammatory rhetoric from officials, including remarks by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at a January youth event where he urged young Indians to carry "the fire of revenge" over historical grievances.
Social media users questioned the limited attention to Ansari's case. "Why is everyone silent on the mob lynching and subsequent death of Pappu Ansari in Jharkhand?" one user wrote on Jan. 10.
Ansari is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son. The Special Investigation Team has not announced a timeline for completing its investigation.
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