A Muslim man died after being assaulted by alleged cow vigilantes in Odisha’s Balasore district on Wednesday, The Telegraph reported.

Sheikh Makandar Mohammed, a resident of Astia village, worked as a helper for a cattle pickup van.

On Wednesday, a group of alleged cow vigilantes tried to stop the van Mohammed was in. The van overturned on the outskirts of a town.

While the driver escaped, Mohammed was caught by the mob, The Telegraph reported.

A video widely shared on social media, alleged to be that of the incident, shows the group assaulting Mohammed with pipes and forcing him to shout “Jai Shri Ram” and “Gau Mata Ki Jai”. The mob continued to beat him up even as he complied with their demand.

The police took Mohammed to hospital, but on Thursday, he succumbed to injuries he had suffered during the attack.

The police have registered a case under a section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that pertains to lynching by a group motivated by prejudice based on religion, race or caste. Mohammed’s brother had filed a police complaint and named five persons as suspects.

Three suspects were arrested on Thursday in connection with the killing, The Times of India reported.

Rabi Behera, the head of the Odisha Milk Farmers’ Association, was quoted as saying by The Telegraph that the activities of cow vigilantes had increased since the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Mohan Majhi was elected to power in the state in June 2024.

“The government must ensure stern action in such cases,” Behera said.