BJP leader among 4 arrested for lynching Muslim men to death in Chattisgarh
Police arrested a leader of the far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Raja Agarwal, and four others over the horrific mob lynching of three Muslim men in Chattisgarh’s Raipur. The three others arrested are also associated with Hindu extremist groups.
The arrests come two weeks after the incident. On June 6, Chand Miyan, Guddu Khan, and Saddam Qureshi were brutally attacked by cow vigilantes while transporting cattle from Chhattisgarh to Odisha state. Miyan’s body was found under a 30-foot-high bridge, along with Qureshi and Khan, who were critically injured. Khan died in the hospital soon after, and Qureshi died ten days later.
Two Muslims shot dead in fake encounter by forest guards in Assam
Two Muslim men, Jaliluddin and Sameeruddin, were shot dead in a fake encounter by armed forest guards in Assam’s Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary. The men, along with a few other villagers, were in the forest to catch fish as part of their traditional livelihood.
“Armed forest guards opened fire on them from all sides without any warning… others ran away from the spot to save their lives,” read a statement by the Community Network Against Protected Areas, a coalition of indigenous peoples and forest-dwelling communities.
The coalition stated that the incident is a stark reminder of the systemic violence and human rights abuses unleashed against forest-dependent communities across India under the pretext of “conservation.”
Hindu mob attacks Christians, forces to sign pact to convert within ten days
A Hindu extremist mob attacked Christian families in Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur, forcing them to sign a pact to denounce their religion and convert to Hinduism within 10 days.
At least two victims were left unconscious, and three were hospitalized after the attack. The mob also attacked properties, demolished field walls, and destroyed crops.
The United Christian Forum (UCF) said at least 23 cases of violence against Christians have been recorded in just the past week. D.C.-based human rights group International Christian Concern has named India among the top 10 countries persecuting Christians in its 2023 Persecutors of the Year Report.
Two cafes shut down, owner arrested after police find beef burger on menu
Police in Uttar Pradesh state shut down two cafes and arrested a cafe owner in Moradabad for allegedly selling beef burgers as part of their menu. These actions were based on a complaint by a leader of the Hindu militant group Bajrang Dal, who claimed that the sale of beef burgers hurt his religious sentiments.
Recently, the homes of 11 Muslim families were demolished after police baselessly claimed they had found beef stored in their refrigerators.
