In May, the new West Bengal government issued fresh directives to strictly enforce a 1950-era law ahead of Eid al-Adha, making certification mandatory and cracking down on illegal slaughterhouses and cattle markets.
In the above context, a video is widely being shared on social media in which some people are seen tying some Muslim men with a rope and hurling abuses on them.
The video is shared with a caption suggesting that some Muslim men came to sell a cow without the required paperwork, which resulted in them being caught by locals and harassed during the new regime of the BJP.
A social media user shared the video with a caption that reads, “Unbelievable change in West Bengal within a week. Two Muslims came to sell a cow. Locals caught them as they didn’t have the papers required by the new law. Gone are the days when Mamata used to give them free and priority access to everything.”
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The viral video is from 2025 and predates the formation of the BJP government in West Bengal in 2026.
On a Google reverse image search, we found that the screenshot of the video was shared by India Today.
The report was shared on August 2, 2025. The caption stated, “Tension has erupted in Durgapur, West Bengal, over an incident involving cattle transport. A vehicle carrying cattle was stopped and its occupants were assaulted by a group of individuals. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has lodged a complaint, accusing members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of perpetrating the vandalism and assault. Following the complaint and a viral video of the incident, West Bengal police arrested two people, identified as Deepak Das and Ganesh Bhattacharya. The police investigation has indicated that the individuals transporting the animals possessed the required permissions. According to the investigation, ‘the documents were valid’. The incident has led to protests demanding further arrests and has become a significant point of political contention between the TMC and BJP in the state.”
We found that the incident was also reported by Dainik Bhaskar 10 months ago.
According to the report, two Muslim men transporting cattle for farming purposes were allegedly assaulted by a mob in Durgapur, West Bengal, accused of cow smuggling, tied with ropes, and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram.’ A video of the incident went viral online. West Bengal Police arrested two accused and said raids were underway to identify others involved. In the report, a video is shared, in which we can see that the same men who were visible in the viral video were being paraded.
We found that the screenshot of the viral video was also shared by District President Paschim Bardhaman AITC, Narendranath Chakrabortty on August 1, 2025. According to the report, “Common people will respond to how BJP self-declared leader Parijat Ganguly tortured local people yesterday in Durgapur. This is the real face of BJP - not service, but repression policy! Demand for immediate arrest....”
Using this information, we searched with relevant keywords and found a report published by The Telegraph India on August 12, 2025.
According to the report, police arrested BJP youth wing member Parijat Ganguly for allegedly leading an attack on Muslim cattle traders in Durgapur, West Bengal. The traders were accused of being ‘Bangladeshi jihadis’ despite carrying valid cattle purchase documents. According to police, the victims were beaten, tied up and publicly humiliated during the mob assault. Ganguly was arrested from a hideout in Jharkhand after evading police for 10 days.
We further found that the West Bengal police had also tweeted about the incident and said that the accused were arrested.
The X post was done on August 1, 2025, and read, “Two persons belonging to the minority community, while carrying cattle for farming purposes, were detained and severely beaten up yesterday in Durgapur by some hooligans belonging to a particular political party. A case has been registered over the incident and two of the miscreants have already been arrested. Raids are underway to apprehend all those involved. None will be spared. Nothing and no one will be allowed to dent our state’s tradition of inclusivity and harmony. We always have, and always will, demonstrate zero tolerance for religious bigotry of any kind. Let that message be loud and clear.”
Is cattle slaughter illegal in West Bengal?
We also found that the cattle slaughter law in West Bengal is not new. It is governed by the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950, enacted on 6 April 1950. The law does not completely ban cattle slaughter. Instead, it regulates it through a certification process.
Hence, we can ascertain that the viral claim is false.