A Muslim bus driver was brutally assaulted and a truck set ablaze by a Hindutva mob in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district on Monday, amid suspicions that the vehicle was transporting beef. The incident is the latest in a troubling series of vigilante violence targeting minorities under the pretext of cow protection.
According to reports, the mob intercepted the vehicle, dragged out the Muslim driver, and beat him severely before setting the truck on fire. Eyewitnesses say the crowd chanted communal slogans while attacking the man, who sustained serious injuries. He was later taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
While police arrived at the scene after the incident, no arrests had been confirmed at the time of reporting. The local administration has launched an investigation, and forensic teams are analyzing the truck’s remains to verify the nature of the meat.
The assault has sparked outrage from civil society groups, who have called for urgent action against mob violence and questioned the growing climate of impunity in Uttar Pradesh. Human rights activists argue that such incidents are a direct result of the normalization of hate speech and religious profiling.
India’s Muslim community continues to bear the brunt of these vigilante attacks, which have intensified in recent years. This incident adds to the alarming pattern of mob lynchings, many of which go unpunished or result in minimal legal action.
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News originally reported by Muslim Mirror
