India Anti-Muslim Mob Lynchings and Cow Vigilantism
Since 2014, India has experienced a systematic pattern of mob lynchings and cow vigilante violence targeting Muslims. According to Reuters, 97% of all cow-related attacks occurred after the BJP/Modi government took power. Human Rights Watch documented at least 44 killed (36 Muslim) and 280 injured in over 100 incidents by 2019 alone. Victims include dairy farmers, cattle traders, ragpickers, teenagers, and a 7-year-old child. Despite a 2018 Supreme Court order mandating anti-lynching measures, the violence has continued with impunity — perpetrators are acquitted, garlanded by ministers, and granted bail. In 2025, the SAJC documented at least 50 extrajudicial killings of Muslims.
Timeline
September 30, 2025
Q3 2025: 9 More Muslims Killed Including 7-Year-Old
The SAJC documented at least 9 Muslims — including a 7-year-old child and two teenagers — killed in religiously motivated mob violence across six states. The 2025 toll reached at least 50 extrajudicial killings of Muslims (27 by Hindu extremists, 23 by state actors).
SourceMarch 31, 2025
Q1 2025: 5 Muslims Killed in Mob Violence Across 5 States
The South Asia Justice Campaign documented at least 5 Muslims killed by Hindu extremist mobs across UP, Tripura, Haryana, Telangana and other states in Q1 2025. Two by organized cow protection groups. Pattern of impunity continues.
SourceAugust 27, 2024
Sabir Malik Lynched in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana
Sabir Malik, 26, a Muslim ragpicker from West Bengal, was lynched in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana over suspicions he had consumed beef. Malik lived there with his wife and two-year-old daughter. Third day after Aryan Mishra's murder by cow vigilantes in the same state.
SourceAugust 24, 2024
Hindu Student Shot Dead — Mistaken for Muslim
Aryan Mishra, 19, a Hindu Brahmin student, was shot dead in Faridabad, Haryana by cow vigilante Anil Kaushik who chased his vehicle for over 25 miles, mistaking the occupants for Muslim cattle smugglers. The killer later sought an apology, saying he regretted 'killing a Brahmin.'
SourceJune 24, 2023
Afan Ansari Lynched on His Birthday in Nashik
Afan Abdul Ansari, 32, was beaten to death by cow vigilantes in Nashik while transporting meat. He was killed on his birthday. Eleven men arrested. Second cow-related lynching in Nashik in just 15 days.
SourceJune 10, 2023
Lukman Ansari Lynched in Nashik, Maharashtra
Lukman Ansari was attacked by cow vigilantes in Nashik while transporting cattle purchased from a farmer. His body was found in a 150-meter-deep gorge two days later. Six men linked to the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal were arrested for murder.
SourceFebruary 15, 2023
Junaid and Nasir Burned Alive in Bhiwani, Haryana
Junaid, 35, and Nasir, 25, were abducted by cow vigilantes led by notorious figure Monu Manesar. When no cattle were found, the men were beaten, strangled, and their bodies burned inside a vehicle. Monu Manesar arrested but granted bail in March 2026.
SourceFebruary 23, 2020
Delhi Communal Riots — 53 Killed, 40 Muslim
After BJP leader Kapil Mishra called for forcible dispersal of anti-CAA protesters, communal riots erupted in northeast Delhi lasting February 23-29. At least 53 people were killed (40 Muslim), mosques were burned, and Muslim homes looted. Delhi's worst communal violence in decades.
SourceMay 22, 2019
Three Muslims Beaten by Cow Vigilantes in Seoni, MP
Two Muslim men and a woman were tied to trees and brutally beaten by 'Ram Sena' cow vigilantes in Seoni, MP. They were forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram.' Five attackers arrested. The victims were also arrested under anti-cow slaughter laws.
SourceFebruary 19, 2019
HRW Report: 44 Killed in Cow Vigilante Violence
Human Rights Watch published 'Violent Cow Protection in India,' documenting at least 44 people (36 Muslim) killed and 280 injured in over 100 incidents across 20 states between May 2015 and December 2018. Found police complicity and that BJP leaders had failed to condemn or actively justified attacks.
SourceDecember 3, 2018
Bulandshahr Mob Violence — Inspector Killed
A mob of 300-400 people, incited by the discovery of cow carcasses, attacked police in Bulandshahr, UP. Police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a student were killed. A police station was torched. In 2025, 38 were convicted, five for the inspector's murder.
SourceJuly 20, 2018
Rakbar Khan Lynched in Alwar, Rajasthan
Rakbar Khan was attacked by a mob near Lalawandi in Alwar while transporting two cows. Police took three hours to transport the dying man to a hospital just 6 km away, stopping for tea en route. Khan died in custody. In 2023, four men convicted and sentenced to 7 years.
SourceJuly 17, 2018
Supreme Court Issues Anti-Lynching Directives
In Tehseen S. Poonawalla v. Union of India, the Supreme Court issued comprehensive directives to prevent mob lynching, calling it a threat to the rule of law. The Court mandated preventive, remedial, and punitive measures and recommended anti-lynching legislation.
SourceJune 18, 2018
Qasim Qureshi Lynched in Hapur, UP
Mohammed Qasim, 45, a cattle trader, was beaten to death in Hapur, UP. His autopsy showed 18 serious injuries including wounds from nails and screws. The mob told onlookers 'They're Muslims, don't spare them.' In 2024, ten men were convicted and sentenced to life.
SourceJune 29, 2017
Alimuddin Ansari Lynched in Jharkhand
Alimuddin Ansari was dragged from his van and beaten to death in Ramgarh, Jharkhand. A Bajrang Dal member tracked his van for 15 km sharing live updates. Eleven convicted of murder — India's first cow vigilante conviction. BJP minister Jayant Sinha later garlanded the convicts upon their release on bail.
SourceJune 28, 2017
Reuters: 63 Cow-Related Attacks, 24 of 28 Killed Were Muslim
Reuters published an analysis documenting 63 cow vigilante attacks in India between 2010 and mid-2017, in which 28 Indians (24 of them Muslim) were killed and 124 injured. 97% of attacks occurred after Modi took power.
SourceJune 28, 2017
'Not In My Name' Protests Across 10+ Indian Cities
Nationwide protests erupted in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Kolkata and other cities, triggered by Junaid Khan's lynching. The campaign forced PM Modi to tweet that killing in the name of cow protection was unacceptable.
SourceJune 22, 2017
Junaid Khan (16) Stabbed to Death on Train
Junaid Khan, 16, was stabbed to death on a Mathura-bound train near Ballabhgarh, Haryana. Attackers called the boys 'beef-eaters,' pulled their beards, and hurled religious slurs. This killing directly triggered the 'Not In My Name' protests.
SourceApril 1, 2017
Pehlu Khan Lynched in Alwar, Rajasthan
Pehlu Khan, 55, a dairy farmer, was attacked by a mob of approximately 200 cow vigilantes near Behror on the Jaipur-Delhi highway while transporting legally purchased dairy cows. He died on April 3. All six accused were acquitted in August 2019.
SourceJuly 11, 2016
Dalits Flogged in Una, Gujarat
Seven Dalit men skinning a dead cow in Una, Gujarat were attacked by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes who tied them to a car and beat them with sticks, iron pipes, and a knife. Video went viral and triggered massive statewide protests attended by 20,000 people.
SourceMarch 18, 2016
Muslim Trader and 12-Year-Old Boy Lynched in Jharkhand
Mohammed Mazlum Ansari, 35, a cattle trader, and Imteyaz Khan, 12, were beaten to death and hanged from a tree in Latehar district, Jharkhand by members of a local cow protection group. Eight men were convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
SourceMarch 5, 2016
Mustain Abbas Killed by Cow Vigilantes in Haryana
Mustain Abbas, 27, was killed in Kurukshetra, Haryana after being handed over to cow protection groups by police. The Punjab and Haryana High Court later found that police had allowed cow vigilantes to 'unleash terror' with impunity.
SourceSeptember 28, 2015
Mohammad Akhlaq Lynched in Dadri, UP
Mohammad Akhlaq, 52, was dragged from his home in Bisahda village, Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, and beaten to death by a mob after a local temple announced over loudspeakers that his family had slaughtered a cow. His son was severely injured. First widely reported cow-related mob killing.
SourceMay 26, 2014
BJP/Modi Government Elected
Narendra Modi and the BJP win a majority in Indian general elections. According to a Reuters analysis, 97% of all cow-related vigilante attacks recorded between 2010 and 2017 occurred after this date.
SourceQuick Stats