Haryana police on Saturday arrested five members of a cow vigilante group and detained two boys in connection with the alleged lynching of a man from West Bengal. The migrant worker was suspected of eating beef and was allegedly beaten to death in Charkhi Dadri district. The incident has sparked strong reactions from opponents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the state prepares for upcoming assembly elections in just over a month. 


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Sabir Malik, a 26-year-old man from North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, was living in Hansawas village, Charkhi Dadri, with his wife and 2-year-old daughter while working as a ragpicker. On August 27, he was killed by a group of men who lured him under the pretense of giving him plastic waste. 


When questioned about the incident, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini stated at a press conference, "It is not right to use terms like mob lynching. We have passed a strict law in the state assembly to protect cows, and there will be no compromise on that." 


He asserted that the August 27 incident is "unfortunate" but urged people to refrain from calling it lynching. 


Saini further stressed, "In villages, the cow is revered so much, and if they (villagers) come to know that they are creating such a situation, who can stop them from reacting, and whatever happens afterward, happens. But I want to say that such incidents should not take place. These things are unfortunate," he said. 


According to a senior police officer, on the day of the incident, the accused allegedly lured Sabir Malik to a shop under the pretense of selling empty plastic bottles and then assaulted him there. After bystanders intervened, the accused reportedly took Malik to another location, where they beat him again, resulting in his death. 


Malik, who lived in a shanty near Bandhra village in Charkhi Dadri district, earned his livelihood by collecting waste and rags, the police said. 


All five accused have been arrested, and two juveniles have also been apprehended in connection with the case. The police have sent a food sample for testing at a lab in Faridabad, the officer added.