‘Cow vigilantes’ accused of assaulting Dalit man in Maharashtra’s Jalna; no arrest made yet
Police in Maharashtra, India, have registered a case against six individuals accused of assaulting a Dalit man and forcing him to eat cow dung. The incident, which occurred in May, gained attention after a video of the assault circulated on social media.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing issues regarding caste-based violence and the activities of self-styled 'cow vigilante' groups in India, sparking debates on law enforcement and social justice.
Police on Thursday (August 27, 2026) registered a case against six 'cow vigilantes' for assaulting a Dalit man and forcing him to eat cow dung after accusing him of planning to sell a bull he had purchased from a butcher.
While the incident took place in May, the victim approached police when a video of the purported assault began to circulate on social media, officials said. Parameshwar Suhas Hiwale, the complainant, told police that he was returning to Jalna on May 23 with his 11-year-old son and an acquaintance named Narayan Maroti Kamble after visiting a weekly cattle market at Deulgaon Raja and purchasing a bull.
A group, claiming to be Bajrang Dal members and cow protectors, intercepted their vehicle in Kanhaiyanagar area, and alleged that Mr. Hiwale was planning to sell the animal to a Muslim butcher.
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