A mob attacked a group of cow vigilantes late on Saturday, after they intercepted a tempo that was reportedly carrying cows to a slaughterhouse, in Shrigonda, Ahmednagar. Seven persons were severely injured in the incident. The Ahmednagar police detained 20 people who were found to be part of the mob.
The administration has deployed heavy police force in Shrigonda and other sensitive places in Ahmednagar district to avoid any untoward incident. Police said the situation in Shrigonda is tense but under control.
Police have registered cases, including attempt to murder, against the 20 people who are likely to be formally arrested soon.
The tension began when Shivshankar Rajendra Swami of Pune, who claims to be a legally appointed ‘honorary animal welfare officer’, informed the police about the tempo that was transporting cows illegally. “We intercepted the vehicle with the help of police near Hotel Tiranga on the Daund-Ahmednagar road. Ten oxen and two cows were rescued,” said Swami.
The owner of the tempo, Wahid Shaikh, and driver Raju Fatrubhai Shaikh have been arrested under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, he added.
Swami claimed that when they left the police station, after registering a complaint against Wahid and Raju, a mob of about 50, some of them carrying sharp weapons and stones, attacked them.
“As per the FIR lodged by Swami, we have booked about 20 persons, said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ahmednagar, Sudarshan Munde.
The report said that Swami is a complainant in about 300 cases of alleged illegal cow transportation and slaughtering in Pune and other districts of Maharashtra.
Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had warned those breaking the law in the name of cow protection and asked the states to take stringent action against them, but cautioned against giving political or communal colour to the issue.
Last week, a vigilante group thrashed four persons on the suspicion of being cow smugglers in a remote tribal village in Betul district, Madhya Pradesh.
WHAT PM HAD SAID
- Last month, PM Modi had asked the states to take stringent action against ‘cow vigilantes’ but cautioned against giving political or communal colour to the issue.
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