Three cows attacked brutally with their udders cut off by a Muslim man
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India 
11 January, 2025
Case Summary
In Chamrajpet's Vinayak Nagar in Bengaluru, Karnataka, three cows owned by a man named Karna were found severely injured, with their udders cut off. Locals discovered the bloodied and moaning animals and informed the police. While the teats of two cows were chopped and left hanging, the teat of one cow was severed. Karna suspected that the incident could be linked to a protest held six months prior when he and other local milk vendors had protested against the decision to shift a veterinary hospital located nearby. Hindu organisations gathered at the site to protest, demanding immediate action. BJP leaders strongly criticised the Congress government, accusing it of negligence towards issues concerning Hindu sentiments. Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra warned of protests during Makar Sankranti if no swift action was taken. A complaint was registered at the Cottonpet police station, after which, the accused was identified as 30-year-old Sheikh Nasru. Nasru, hailing from the Champaran district of Bihar, was arrested on January 12, 2025. According to the police, Nasru was in an inebriated state at the time of the crime.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case can be categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime under the category of- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. In Hindu tradition, the cow is revered as a sacred symbol of life and sustenance. They are often referred to as "Gau Mata" (Mother Cow) in Hindu culture and are also associated with divine figures like Kamadhenu, the celestial cow, and Lord Krishna. Hindus also believe that all 33 crore (330 million) deities reside within the cow, making it a living symbol of divinity and a central element of religious rituals, festivals, and daily worship. Acts of violence against cows are perceived as an affront to Hindu religious sentiments and beliefs. Here, despite knowing the sacred status of cows in Hinduism, the Muslim perpetrator brutally attacked the cows. This deliberate act of injuring and mutilating the udders of cows carries symbolic weight, as it desecrates an animal venerated in Hinduism. The brutal method of attack further amplifies its severity, with the intent appearing to go beyond mere criminality to a deeper cultural and religious provocation. It is important to note that though the police claimed that the perpetrator was in an inebriated state, the specific targeting of cows, given their sacred status in Hinduism, suggests an underlying contempt for Hindus and their religious values, making it a religiously motivated hate crime. In several cases, where Muslims vandalise and desecrate Hindu places of worship or desecrate Hindu religious symbols, a usual trope to shield the perpetrator is to attribute the crime to the mental state of the accused, claiming that the crime was committed since the perpetrator was either in an inebriated state or mentally ill. The police and the media, in many such cases, where the crime has been committed against the Hindu faith by a non-Hindu perpetrator, deny that the crime committed was in any way motivated by a religious bias and attribute it to the perpetrator’s mental state. The police downplay incidents of low-level communal crime because it is their jurisdiction that comes under question. The police also often say that the crime was committed as the accused was mentally unstable or in a drunk state because they wish to ensure that there is no further flare-up in the area. In fact, there are many cases where this strategy has been used by the media to downplay such incidents where the crime was committed by a Muslim perpetrator, for example, the attack on the Gorakhnath temple, or the incident in Telangana where two Muslim women wearing burqa tried to damage temple and church idols. The use of these tropes to justify crimes targeting Hindu temples or idols or any other Hindu religious symbols, like the cows in this particular case, by Muslim perpetrators raises critical questions. If perpetrators are indeed mentally unstable or in an inebriated state, why do they specifically target Hindu idols or symbols and places of worship, leaving mosques untouched? This selective focus suggests that such acts are not driven by mental health issues or their mental state at that time but by an intrinsic religious animosity, they harbour for Hinduism. The repeated use of this narrative to downplay crimes against Hindus reflects a strategic effort to whitewash religious hatred, obscuring the true motivations and intentions behind the attacks.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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