Not the first! Lynching in Jharkhand is the 11th hate crime against minorities in 2019

The hate crime in Jharkhand in which 24 year old Tabrez Ansari was lynched and later succumbed to his injuries is not the first of its kind to happen in 2019.

According to Factchecker.in, it is the 11th case of hate crime in 2019. Till now, 4 people have been killed and 22 people injured in incidents of mob violence.

Over the last 10 years, 297 hate crimes incidents have taken place across India, in which 98 people died and 722 people were injured.

However, the data indicates a rapid increase in cases of mob violence over the past few years. Since 2015, 121 incidents of mob violence over cattle theft or slaughter have taken place compared to just 6 incidents from 2012 to 2014.

Overall data from 2009 to 2019 indicates that in 59 per cent cases the victims were Muslims; 28 per cent of the incidents were related to alleged cattle theft or slaughter.

The data indicates that 66% of these cases occurred in the BJP-ruled states.

Tabrez Ansari (24) was lynched by a mob in Kharsawan district of Jharkhand on Tuesday, June 18 on alleged suspicion of theft. He was tied to a pole and beaten mercilessly for several hours by a mob before being handed over to the police.

Videos of the attack show he was forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram" and "Jai Hanuman" slogans repeatedly.

As per the police, he died on Saturday. 11 men were arrested for their alleged involvement in the case and two police officers were suspended.

The victim’s family has asked for action against all involved, including the police and doctors. They alleged that despite their appeals, the police did not arrange for proper treatment of the injured man and that he died long before he was taken to the hospital.