Kolkata: A Muslim cattle herder’s body was recovered from beneath a bridge on Sunday, May 5, in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar, and his family has alleged that cow vigilantes killed him.
The deceased, 51-year-old Montu Miya, worked as a dangowal, or as locals called it, rakhal, which translates to shepherd. As a resident of Nagar Shingimari village in Sitalkuchi block, Montu delivered cattle from weekly markets to buyers’ homes for a living.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) has claimed he was a party worker, backing the family’s claims that he was “brutally murdered by a mob of cow vigilantes.”
Although police have registered a case and begun an investigation, no arrests have been made, Montu’s family said.
Cattle market suspended for 2 months soon after polls results
Villagers said cattle trading in markets had been suspended for nearly two months after the Bengal election results and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power.
The weekly cattle market at Gosai Market resumed on July 4. Pathantulli village’s Yakub Miya had asked Montu to deliver a cow he purchased at the market to his residence. According to eyewitnesses, Montu was last seen leaving with the animal on foot on Saturday evening. His family searched for him the whole night, but in vain.
Local fishermen spotted a body the next day beneath the Khutamara River bridge and immediately notified the police. The deceased was identified as Montu Miya. The cow was found near the bridge.
Montu’s family told local media his body bore several injuries, including broken teeth and widespread wounds across different parts of the body. They alleged that before his body was thrown in the water, acid was poured over parts of his face and body.
Eggs thrown at CPI(M) leaders during visit to Montu’s family
On Wednesday, July 8, CPI(M) said “BJP hooligans” attacked a Minakshi Mukherjee-led delegation during their visit to the deceased’s family.
“BJP workers and supporters hurled eggs and attacked the vehicle in which they were travelling, in the presence of police personnel who did nothing to stop the assault,” the party wrote on X.
Sharing visuals of the incident, CPI(M) said the police were compelled to arrest the miscreants only after Mukherjee staged a dharna along with local party workers, who gheraoed the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Mukherjee told Maktoob that initially, police were not registering the case. “It was only after sustained protests and public pressure that a first information report (FIR) was finally lodged. Even now, we are not sure whether all the relevant legal provisions have been invoked against the perpetrators,” she said.
“The family had to struggle even to get the postmortem conducted. They have still not been given the report. All they are asking is a fair and impartial investigation,” she added.
There has been no public statement from the police regarding the family’s allegations, the CPI(M)’s claims of inaction, or the attack on the party on Wednesday.
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