A Muslim man named Mohammad Ishaq was lynched in New Delhi on Tuesday, September 28, 2023, by a mob of Hindu men who accused him of stealing a banana and some money from the offerings made at a temple during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
The mob tied him to an iron pole with a leather belt and beat him up mercilessly, while he pleaded for mercy. He was mentally challenged and could not explain himself to the attackers. He died of his injuries at his home a few hours later.
The police have registered a case of murder and arrested seven people in connection with the incident. The victim’s family said he was not a thief and had picked up the food from the offering because he was hungry. They also said he was killed because he was a Muslim and the mob found it offensive that he touched their prasad.
This is not the first time that a Muslim person has been lynched in India on suspicion of stealing or consuming cow meat, which is considered sacred by many Hindus. There have been several cases of mob violence and hate crimes against Muslims in India in recent years, fueled by religious intolerance and political polarization.