A court in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district has sentenced 14 men to life imprisonment for the 2022 lynching of a Muslim man for cattle smuggling, bringing a nearly 4-year-old case to a close.
The verdict came from Additional District and Sessions Judge Tabassum Khan at the Seoni Malwa court. The case concerned the killing of 50-year-old Nazir Ahmad, a resident of Maharashtra’s Amravati district.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on Aug. 3, 2022, near Barakhad village in Seoni Malwa tehsil. Ahmad was transporting cattle from Nanderwada village.Investigators said a group of self-styled cow vigilantes attacked the three men with sticks, lathis and iron rods. Ahmad suffered multiple injuries, including head wounds, skull fractures and severe contusions. He later died at a community health centre in Seoni Malwa.
The court found that the accused formed an unlawful assembly and carried out a violent assault with the intention of causing death. Judge Khan ruled that the prosecution had established the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. All 14 men were convicted of murder, attempted murder, rioting and wrongful restraint. Video recordings of the attack helped establish the sequence of events.
The sentencing triggered emotional scenes outside the court. Relatives of the convicts protested as police escorted them to jail. Some attempted to block police vehicles before authorities restored order.