Shocking Findings from AP & US Media Probe: 93% Injured in Uttar Pradesh Cattle Smuggling Firings Muslim; 110 Dead

Nearly 93 percent of individuals injured in police encounters related to alleged cow smuggling in Uttar Pradesh since 2020 are Muslim, according to a joint investigation by the Washington-based Centre for the Study of Organised Hate (CSOH) and the Associated Press (AP). The study analysed public police records documenting 772 victims across 645 incidents. Statistics from state law enforcement reveal that between March 2017 and October 2026, police encounters resulted in 12,890 suspects injured and 316 killed, with Muslims accounting for 110 of those fatalities despite representing only one-fifth of the state’s population.

The report highlights a widespread police tactic locally known as ‘Operation Langda’ (Operation Lame), where officers routinely shoot suspects in the legs or below the knees rather than delivering non-lethal subduing measures or making standard arrests. Critics argue that the label of cow smuggling is often applied arbitrarily, even in cases involving legal livestock transport for personal use. The Allahabad High Court recently expressed deep concern over this practice, ruling earlier this year that shooting accused individuals in the legs runs entirely contrary to the rule of law and remains completely unacceptable within a constitutional framework.

Human rights advocates and legal experts have strongly condemned these actions as an erosion of due process. Human rights lawyer Mangla Verma told AP that this trend has become routine, with police crippling suspects themselves instead of conducting proper investigations and handing them over to the justice system. Expressing similar grave concern over institutional bias, Raqib Hameed Naik, executive director of CSOH, stated that these findings indicate state institutions, particularly law enforcement agencies, are increasingly being used to target and oppress Muslims under the guise of crime control policies.

In response to the investigation, senior Uttar Pradesh police officials firmly denied all allegations of religious bias or institutional misconduct. Senior officer Amitabh Yash told AP that officers are instructed to use force strictly in self-defence and that police encounters have no bearing on career advancement. He explained that the high proportion of Muslims among those injured in cattle-related cases merely reflects their participation in the local cattle trade, maintaining that the state’s zero-tolerance policy against crime has successfully restored public order.

Beyond the legal and political controversy, the investigation highlights severe socio-economic consequences for the victims and their dependents. Interviews with families of injured Muslim youths revealed that leg injuries often leave primary breadwinners permanently disabled and unable to work. Consequently, affected households are forced into heavy debt or reliance on community charity to survive, while continuously living under the shadow of economic vulnerability and fear of further law enforcement harassment.