A shocking incident of mob lynching has been reported from Odisha’s Balasore district, where a 35-year-old Muslim man was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people on suspicion of cow smuggling. The deceased has been identified as S.K. Makandar. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday when he was travelling in a pickup van.
According to preliminary information, the pickup van was coming from the Jayadeva Kasba side when it was forcibly stopped by a group of assailants. The attackers allegedly assaulted both the driver and Makandar, beating them brutally. Makandar, who sustained critical injuries, was taken by the police to the Balasore district hospital, where he succumbed during treatment.
A purported video related to the incident has surfaced on social media, allegedly showing the attackers forcing Makandar to chant “Jai Shri Ram.” However, the police have not yet officially verified the authenticity of the video. The incident was first reported by Maktoob Media.
Serious questions have also been raised about the police’s initial response. The police first registered a preliminary FIR describing the incident as a road accident. According to this FIR, the pickup van was allegedly speeding and overturned after the driver lost control. Police claimed that by the time they reached the spot, the driver had already been shifted to a hospital, and a cow was recovered from the site and sent to a cowshed.
Later, a second FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by the victim’s brother, S.K. Jitendra. In this complaint, it was alleged that five people had stopped the pickup van and attacked Makandar with deadly weapons. The complaint stated that a police patrolling team reached the spot and took the injured Makandar to the Balasore district headquarters hospital, where he died during treatment.
Based on the second FIR, the police have registered a case against five accused under Section 103(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with murder committed by a mob. Police officials said the accused are being interrogated and investigations are underway to ascertain whether more people were involved in the attack.
The incident has once again raised serious concerns over alleged mob lynching cases in the name of cattle transportation in the state. The contradictory narratives in the two FIRs have also intensified debate over the role of the police. So far, the administration has not issued any detailed clarification explaining the discrepancies between the two FIRs.
The investigation is ongoing, and further details are awaited.
