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ISLAMABAD: Rights group Hindutva Watch flagged on Monday what it described as a celebratory public reception for cow vigilante Monu Manesar after his release on bail in the 2023 Junaid-Nasir double murder case, highlighting fresh concern over the public glorification of an accused in one of India&rsquo;s most contentious vigilante violence cases.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2030798038642446721&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=11c3e4775eb382ba6e9f994d941f719f5f4a7155&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 921px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Monu Manesar, whose real name is Mohit Yadav, was released from Sevar Central Jail in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, after the Rajasthan High Court granted him bail, reported The Quint.&nbsp; He was freed in a bullet-proof vest amid heavy security, with police deployment outside the jail as supporters gathered at the site.&nbsp;The case relates to the killings of Junaid, 35, and Nasir, 27, two Muslim cousins from Rajasthan whose charred bodies were found inside a burned vehicle in Haryana&rsquo;s Bhiwani district in February 2023, Times of India reported.&nbsp; The case was registered on the complaint of a relative at Gopalgarh police station in Deeg district of Rajasthan. An Indian journalist and published author, Ankur Bhardwaj, commented on the news of celebration of Manesar&#39;s release, calling it &quot;sick.&quot;&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2030851624604971494&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=11c3e4775eb382ba6e9f994d941f719f5f4a7155&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 543px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>According to court reporting cited by Indian outlets, Manesar had spent about two and a half years in judicial custody before being granted bail.&nbsp; The Quint reported that the High Court took note of the length of incarceration and the slow pace of trial proceedings.&nbsp; Reports said a large number of prosecution witnesses are still yet to be examined, meaning the trial remains far from conclusion. Following his release, Indian media reported celebratory scenes involving supporters.&nbsp; Bhaskar English reported that Manesar was accompanied by a convoy as he returned to Haryana, while the social media video cited by the user appears to show supporters greeting him enthusiastically after his release.&nbsp; This development comes as part of normalization of vigilante violence in India.

India

Rights group 'Hindutva Watch' on Monday flagged celebrations after Indian cow vigilante Monu Manesar, accused in the 2023 killing of two Muslim men, was released on bail, while the murder case remains pending and his public welcome renewed scrutiny.

Cow vigilante accused of double murder gets hero’s welcome after bail in India

ISLAMABAD: The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) on Saturday highlighted the killing of a Muslim truck driver in India&rsquo;s Rajasthan state, a case that has renewed scrutiny of alleged cow-vigilante violence targeting minorities in the country. The incident, first reported by the Observer Post, occurred in the Bhiwadi area of Alwar district, where 28-year-old Aamir, a truck driver from neighboring Haryana, died after what relatives say was an attack by members of the Hindu nationalist group Bajrang Dal. According to family members cited in Indian media reports, Aamir was stopped by men accusing him of cattle smuggling before being assaulted. His relatives alleged that the attackers &ldquo;shot him in the head,&rdquo; blaming Bajrang Dal-linked cow vigilantes for the killing. Local police said the precise cause of death would be determined after post-mortem and forensic examinations, adding that the investigation remains ongoing. The killing comes amid broader international concern about policing practices and violence against marginalized communities in India. In a report issued last month, experts from the United Nations Human Rights Council warned of what they described as a pattern of excessive and often lethal force by Indian law-enforcement authorities and vigilante groups, disproportionately affecting minorities including Muslims. &ldquo;These allegations paint a picture of law enforcement violence that is not sporadic, but systemic,&rdquo; the UN experts said. &ldquo;If substantiated, they reveal grave violations of the right to life, the absolute prohibition of torture, and the right to non-discrimination.&rdquo; The experts called on the government of India to launch urgent and independent investigations into allegations of extrajudicial killings and torture-related deaths, warning that practices such as so-called &ldquo;encounters&rdquo; risk normalizing unlawful violence. Aamir&rsquo;s family says his death has left them devastated. Relatives described him as the sole breadwinner supporting his parents, wife and young child. His wife is four months pregnant, and his sister&rsquo;s wedding was scheduled for next month. IAMC, a Washington-based advocacy organization representing Indian American Muslims, said the case underscores continuing concerns over mob attacks carried out under the banner of cow protection. In a social media statement, the group urged authorities to ensure accountability for the killing and to address what it described as a pattern of vigilante violence linked to accusations of cattle smuggling. Attacks by self-styled cow-protection groups have repeatedly triggered controversy across India, where cows are considered sacred by many Hindus and slaughter is banned or restricted in several states. Rights groups say such laws have increasingly been used by vigilantes to target Muslims and other marginalized communities. The latest killing in Rajasthan is likely to intensify criticism from activists who argue that India&rsquo;s authorities have failed to curb mob violence or hold perpetrators accountable, leaving minority communities increasingly vulnerable to attacks carried out in the name of cow protection.

Rights advocates say a Muslim truck driver dies after suspected cow vigilantes stop his vehicle in Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi area, while police launch forensic inquiries and his family alleges members of a Hindu nationalist group carried out the attack.

Articles tagged with "Cow Vigilantes"

Cow vigilante accused of double murder gets hero’s welcome after bail in India

Cow vigilantes in India kill Muslim driver, rights group raises alarm