Workers assaulted while unloading bulls for slaughter in Manjeshwar; MLA says BJP's poll campaign started

Kasaragod: Two migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh were assaulted while unloading bulls brought for slaughter in Manjeshwar in the early hours of Saturday.

While the cattle trader who transported the animals alleged that a self-styled cow vigilante group was behind the attack, police said the incident was not communal in nature, noting that "one Muslim youth" was among the assailants.

However, the FIR registered at 3.44 pm- nearly 15 hours after the incident- does not name any accused. Based on the victim's statement, the FIR states that "more than five persons" were involved.

The incident occurred around 1 am near the Karoda underpass on NH 66 in Manjeshwar. The injured were identified as Furkan (46) and his relative Daud (28), natives of Jalalabad in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district.

According to Station House Officer Inspector Ajith Kumar P, the assailants were returning from a Theyyam festival when they stopped near the container truck from which the bulls were being unloaded. The group initially confronted the driver, wrongly claiming that the vehicle did not have a number plate. The truck, however, carried a valid Nagaland registration.

Abbas, the cattle trader who supplies livestock to slaughterhouses in the area, said the workers were unloading 10 bulls brought from Palakkad when the group arrived. Four men came in an autorickshaw and one on a motorcycle, he said. Abbas was waiting in his car behind the truck.

"They told the workers that cattle could not be unloaded for slaughter in Manjeshwar," said Abbas, a native of Madhur panchayat, near Kasaragod town. He said he had been supplying livestock to the Karoda slaughterhouse once every week for the past two years, and had not encountered any issues, legal or social, earlier. "They (vigilantes) usually circle our trucks and note down the registration numbers. This is the first time they came prepared to attack," he alleged.

Furkan said that when the assailants boarded the container, Daud managed to run away. "I was dragged down from the container. I fell from that height, and they started hitting me with iron rods," he said. According to the FIR, one of the attackers attempted to strike his head with a rod, but he managed to evade the blow.

When he broke free, the group allegedly pelted him with stones. Furkan sustained injuries to his legs, arms and abdomen. Both men were treated at the District Cooperative Hospital in Kumbla. Speaking over the phone after being discharged, Furkan said, "I have been working in Kerala for two years as a truck labourer. This is the first time I have faced such an attack."

Samsuddin, whose uncle owns the slaughterhouse and meat shop, said the establishment has been functioning for nearly 30 years and no such incident had occurred before. When Abbas called for help, residents gathered at the spot, and the police were alerted.

Suspect drops phone at scene
As people assembled, the assailants fled. Police said one of them dropped a mobile phone at the scene. The phone's owner has been identified as Anil.

Samsuddin alleged that Anil, originally from Andhra Pradesh, has been residing in Kunjathur village in Manjeshwar for about 10 years and is "closely associated with RSS organisations". He also claimed that another person named Sarath was part of the group.

Police said they are examining the phone to identify the other suspects.

The FIR stated that the attackers assaulted the workers after "mistaking" the bulls for cows, and that the act was committed with the intention of provoking a riot.

The accused have been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for attempt to commit culpable homicide (Section 110), causing grievous hurt with dangerous weapons (Section 118), rioting and armed rioting (Sections 191(2) and (3)), unlawful assembly (Section 189(2)), wrongful restraint (Section 126(2)), and wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot (Section 192). Attempt to commit culpable homicide carries a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment.

'BJP's campaign has begun'
Meanwhile, Manjeshwar MLA and Indian Union Muslim League leader A K M Ashraf alleged that the attack marked the beginning of the BJP's election campaign in the constituency for the upcoming Assembly election.

"First, they tried to delete Muslim voters from the electoral roll, even filing Form 7 petitions claiming they are not Indian citizens. Now this attack. They have launched their election campaign," he told Onmanorama.

Manjeshwar has a polarised electorate. Around 75-80 per cent of Hindu voters vote for the BJP, which has narrowly lost the constituency in the 2016 (89 votes) election, and the 2021 (745 votes) election.

However, the party's support base has largely plateaued in Manjeshwar, where it has harboured hopes of victory since 1991, when its tallest leader, K G Marar, lost the election by around 1,000 votes. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP saw no increase in its vote share.

By contrast, only around 65 per cent of Muslim voters back the IUML in Manjeshwar, with the remainder largely voting for the LDF. Though the LDF commands around 40,000 votes in the constituency, a significant portion (up to 75 per cent) of its support base comprises Muslim voters.

Political observers say incidents such as cow vigilantism and controversies during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls could consolidate Muslim votes further in favour of the IUML, potentially widening its margin over the BJP.