Mumbai man, who was part of the beef slaughter industry granted refugee status in Canada. A Montreal court granted him refuge stating he fears ‘persecution in India as a Muslimand for being involved in the beef slaughter industry.’
The man was attacked by 10 unknown men in 2014 allegedly from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). A few days after the attack, his home was also attacked. The man was working in the family’s meat business since 1998, reported a leading daily.
In the application, he has alleged that his complaint at the local police station was not ignored and his attempt to approach a court in Mumbai was in vain. He then opened a shop in Pune but received constant threats from Hindutva groups.
The man had left India for France in 2015, the beef ban was implemented in Maharashtra in the same year in March. On the advice of his lawyer, he did not apply for refugee status in France but Canada. He had moved to Canada in 2016.
The man’s first application in 2017 was rejected by the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) for inconsistencies in the evidence provided. The RPD had said that he failed to prove his claim of being at risk of harm in India.
The appeal was taken up by the RPD again in September 2018 and advised the man to relocate in a different city or part of India. However, the advice was countered with international and national media reports on growing fear among meat traders in India.
The RDP accepted the reports as credible among other reports and studies. The tribunal said that the man, “testified without any significant omissions, contradictions, or inconsistencies in his testimony” and “did not exaggerate any elements of his claim”.
