Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Indian police on Saturday arrested a man for murdering two Muslims, whose charred bodies were found in a car in Haryana state after they were abducted for transporting a cow.
Cows are considered sacred by Hindus, and their slaughter is illegal in several Indian states.
Vigilante squads that roam highways to stop the animals from being transported across the states’ border have increased since Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi became the prime minister in 2014.
The bodies of the two men were discovered in a burnt-out car in northern Haryana state a day after they went missing.
Both men hailed from Rajasthan state, and their families accused five men belonging to the Hindu hardline Bajrang Dal group in a criminal complaint to the police after their disappearance.
Rajasthan police officer Shyam Singh said, “We have arrested one accused so far and are searching for others.”
Rajasthan police said that the arrested man, a taxi driver, was involved in the killing.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the killings on Twitter and said that strict action would be taken against the perpetrators.
Cow Protection
Critics have accused extremist Narendra Modi’s government of turning a blind eye to vigilante attacks on Muslims in the name of cow protection.
Haryana and Rajasthan are among the states where cow slaughter is banned, and people require permits to transport animals across state borders.
