On November 26, two Christians in eastern India framed by Hindu nationalists as allegedly having eaten beef must testify in court. The crime of killing a cow is punishable with a sentence of at least one year in prison.
Two Christians in India from the state of Jharkhand are on trial over false accusations that they consumed beef, which would violate local laws and could result in a lengthy prison sentence. A local partner of CSI is acting as legal defense for these men and two others accused with them in the same case, in which Hindu nationalists framed all four men who were fulfilling their typical duties of disposing of a dead animal.
The Jharkhand Bovine Animal Prohibition of Slaughter Act bans the slaughter, sale, purchase and transport of bovine animals such as cows, calves, bulls and bullocks, both within and outside the state. In light of the Hindu belief that cows are sacred animals, the law provides for a minimum of one year of imprisonment, though judges may stipulate a longer term.
The two Christians — Budhram Lohra and his son Ram Lohra — and the other two accused men belong to the Lohra people, who have a long-standing tradition of handling deceased animals for their village in eastern India. Their role includes taking away dead livestock and burying them, or, depending on the condition of the carcass, skinning them for leather or distributing the meat among villagers. Only a minority of the Lohra community is Christian; most of the Lohras practice the Sarna tribal religion. These minority Christians continue to work in these traditional roles due to economic need and their longstanding connection with the community.
False charges landed the accused men in jail
In May 2021, the four men were carrying out the routine duties of disposing of a dead animal in Jharkhand’s Gumla district when they were accused of killing a cow for its meat. Hindu nationalists physically assaulted them before filing a police complaint. The four men were then promptly detained, and subsequently charged under the bovine law.
The accused were sent to jail. When they applied to be released on bail, the Judicial Magistrate in Gumla initially denied their bail application. With the help of CSI’s partner, the Sessions Court in Gumla granted bail more than three months after their detention.
The trial for the case began on January 31, 2022.
Currently, the case is in the evidentiary stage, where all four defendants, including the Christians, must testify, as well as six alleged witnesses for opposing counsel. The next hearing is set for November 26, 2024.
Hindu nationalist propaganda exacerbates political tensions
The Christian men and their families hope for acquittal, but the issue of cow slaughter and beef consumption remains highly sensitive due to widespread propaganda by Hindu nationalists. This propaganda aims to portray minorities, especially Muslims and Christians in India, as incompatible with the Hindu majority because of their dietary practices. Over the past decade, dozens from these minority communities have been killed by lynching based on such accusations.
Adding extra concern, the November hearing will come on the heels of Jharkhand’s state elections, which took place November 13–20. Hindu nationalist propaganda typically intensifies around election times. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been governing at the national level for over 10 years under Prime Minister Modi, is also a contestant in the elections. The election results could influence the current case, as the lower judiciary is known to weigh local sentiments alongside the merits of the case when making legal decisions.
Please pray for the accused men and their families as they continue to fight these fabricated charges in the courts.
