By Tasneem Bandukwala
A 35-year-old man, Aasif Babu Multani, from Madhya Pradesh named has died in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district. It is being said that they were attacked by a group of cow vigilantes.
Multan was a father of two, and he died on September 20 after being in the hospital for five days as he had severe head injuries.
On the night of September 15, Multani and his cousin, Mohsin were heading back to their hometown of Mandsaur. They had just bought oxen and buffaloes from a cattle market. Their family said it was for farming. While they were on their way, a group of people stopped them as they thought they were smuggling cows.
The attackers apparently beat them both and stole money. They demanded more cash to let them go and Mohsin managed to run away into a forest nearby. Multani was hurt badly with severe head injuries. He was first taken to a local hospital and then to Jaipur for special brain surgery, but he couldn’t be saved by the doctors.
Mohsin later identified some of the attackers from the videos he saw online. He told the police they seemed to be part of a group known for harassing people who transport cattle. This news appeared to assist the police in their inquiry.
Bhilwara police chief Dharmendra Singh has confirmed that five suspects have been taken into custody. A special task force has also been established to probe the attack. According to Singh, they are considering every motive behind the attack. An autopsy has also been conducted, and they await the final report.
Multani’s death has raised concerns about violent attacks by groups taking action in the name of cow protection. Leaders in the community desire more effective and robust action against such groups. Multani’s family remains grieving for the loss of a husband and father who never returned home.