Lynching of Alimuddin Ansari
| Date | 29 June 2017 |
|---|---|
| Location | Bazartand, Ramgarh |
| District | Ramgarh |
| State | Jharkhand |
| Coordinates | 23.6200°N 85.4800°E View on OpenStreetMap |
| Victims | Alimuddin Ansari |
| Killed | 1 |
| Injured | 0 |
| Alleged trigger | Cattle transport |
| Allegation | A mob alleged that he was carrying beef in his van |
| Legal status | Eleven men convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment by a fast-track court in Ramgarh in March 2018; sentences suspended and bail granted by the Jharkhand High Court pending appeal in 2018; in 2022 the Supreme Court asked the High Court to decide the appeals within six months; no appeal judgment found |
Alimuddin Ansari, also known as Asgar Ansari, was a meat trader who was beaten to death by a mob at Bazartand in Ramgarh, Jharkhand, on 29 June 2017 after he was accused of carrying beef in his van.[1][2] In March 2018 a fast-track court sentenced eleven men, including a local BJP functionary, to life imprisonment, in what was reported as the first conviction in a case of cow-protection violence in India.[2]
Incident
On the morning of 29 June 2017 a mob stopped Alimuddin Ansari's Maruti van in the Bazartand area of Ramgarh, alleging that he was carrying beef. He was dragged out of the vehicle and beaten, and the van was set on fire. He was declared dead at hospital.[1][2] Police put the size of the mob at about 40; the Hindustan Times reported about 100.[1]
According to reporting cited by The Quint, one of the accused had followed Ansari from a market about 15 km away from about 7:30 am, keeping the others informed, and the vehicle was stopped at around 9:30 am.[2] The killing took place on the same day that Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that killing people in the name of cow worship was unacceptable.[1]
Investigation and legal proceedings
More than a dozen people were arrested, including members of the Bajrang Dal and the local BJP unit.[2] The case was heard by a fast-track court in Ramgarh presided over by Judge Om Prakash, which on 16 March 2018 found eleven of the twelve accused guilty under sections of the Indian Penal Code covering rioting, unlawful assembly, mischief by fire and murder. The twelfth accused was a minor whose case went to the Juvenile Justice Board.[2]
On 21 March 2018 the court sentenced the eleven men to life imprisonment. Among them was Nityanand Mahto, the BJP's district media in-charge. The Quint described the verdict as the first reported conviction in a cow-protection violence case in the country, and the defence said it would appeal.[2]
On 29 June 2018 the Jharkhand High Court suspended the sentences of eight of the convicts and granted them bail pending their appeals; relief was later extended to the other convicts.[3][4] On 28 March 2022 the Supreme Court disposed of a petition by Ansari's widow, Mariam Khatoon, against the bail orders, and directed the High Court to hear all pending appeals within six months.[4] No judgment on the appeals was found in the sources consulted.
Reactions
Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu condemned the killing and said it should not be given a religious angle.[1] After the conviction, Ansari's widow said she was certain the killing had been carried out by people allied to the Bajrang Dal.[2] In July 2018 Jayant Sinha, then Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, garlanded eight of the convicts after their release on bail. Sinha initially said he was honouring due process of law; after criticism from opposition parties and from his father, former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, he expressed regret on 11 July 2018 if an impression had been created that he supported vigilantism, adding that the matter was sub judice.[5][3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 NL Team. "Another lynching, on the very day Modi said don't kill for cow worship". Newslaundry. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Jharkhand Lynching Case: 11 'Gau Rakshaks' Get Life Imprisonment". The Quint. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harsh Mander. "By lionising lynching convicts, Jayant Sinha is strengthening Sangh's project to legitimise hate". Scroll.in. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Ramgarh Lynching case: SC sees “no reason” to entertain the Petition filed against the bail of the accused men". SabrangIndia. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ ANI. "Jayant Sinha expresses 'regret' over garlanding lynching convicts". The Week. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2026.