Man beat up for selling beef, Assam Government to pay 1 Lakh

Assam, September 18: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered the Assam government to pay Rs.1 lakh to a person, who was beaten up by a mob for selling cooked beef at his tea stall in the Biswanath district.

The commission also took a serious note of the fact that neither the Chief Secretary replied to a slow-cause notice nor the Director-General of Police submitted the action taken report against the guilty police official in the case.

Shaukat Ali a 48-years-old man was thrashed by a mob and forced to eat cooked pork in front of a few policemen for selling beef at his tea stall at the Madhupur weekly market in Biswanath Chariali on April 7 last year.

A contactor of the market was also allegedly beaten up for allowing Ali to run the shop.

Consumption of beef id legal in Assam and the Assam Cattle above 14 years of age with a  proper certificate only by a veterinary officer if the area.

The victim was found insulted and disgraced on the basis of caste/religion, therefore, human rights of the victim were violated by collecting revenue by public servant i.e. profession tac collector illegally. Police have apprehended 15 persons and forwarded them to judicial custody.

The incident has come to light only after a video made by one of the perpetrators went viral in social media. The police registered a complaint from the victim’s brother Sahabuddin Ali.

Shaukat Ali was seen in the video attacked and asked by the mob whether he is Bangladesi as if his name figured in the complete draft of the National Register of Citizen (NCR).

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonawal gave orders to the DGP to nab all the culprits even as widespread condemnation poured in from across the state.