Police in India have charged 15 people with murder in connection with the killing of a Muslim man for allegedly eating beef.
In September, a mob attacked Mohammad Akhlaq, a 50-year-old blacksmith, for allegedly eating and storing beef at his home. His was one of the two Muslim households in that neighborhood of more than 6,000 people.
The incident took place in Uttar Pradesh state.
The mob ransacked Akhlaq’s house, also beating his elderly mother and his 22-year-old son, who suffered critical injuries and had to be hospitalized.
Police are still waiting for the forensic report that would confirm the victim had beef in his refrigerator.
The attack highlighted concerns of growing religious intolerance in India, which is predominantly Hindu.
At least two other Muslim men were attacked in recent months: one over rumors he was transporting beef, the other for allegedly smuggling cattle.
Cow slaughter is banned in most of Hindu-majority India, including in Uttar Pradesh. In Hinduism, cows are deemed sacred and their killing a sin.
