Overview
- Sk Makandar Mahammad, 35, died at Balasore district hospital on Thursday after a mob allegedly assaulted him when a cattle pickup was stopped and overturned near Sahada.
- Balasore police said five named suspects were detained for questioning on Wednesday night, and by Thursday three had been arrested and sent to judicial custody, with a hunt on for others.
- Investigators filed two FIRs: the first under animal cruelty and cow slaughter laws against the van’s driver and owner, and a later one for mob murder based on the family’s complaint.
- A widely shared video cited in reports appears to show the victim being beaten with pipes and coerced to chant religious slogans, which police say is under investigation.
- Local voices, including the Odisha Milk Farmers’ Association, urged stern action and alleged cow vigilante activity has risen since the BJP formed the state government in 2024.