The latest incident, in outer Delhi's Baba Haridas Nagar area, late on Friday evening, comes within a week of Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that killing in the name of 'gau bhakti' was not acceptable.
"They were shouting 'kill them'. We have been trading cattle for years. We did not do anything wrong. Why were we dragged out of our vehicles and thrashed?" That is what Abdul Rehman, who along with five others was thrashed for transporting buffalo calves on the outskirts of the national capital, wants to know.
The latest incident, in outer Delhi's Baba Haridas Nagar area, late on Friday evening, comes within a week of Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that killing in the name of 'gau bhakti' was not acceptable.
Though police suspect the accused to be locals, no one was arrested till late on Saturday.
The six men, residents of Jhajjar, were headed towards Ghazipur in Delhi in four vehicles to sell their cattle. Another victim, Tehsim, recalled pleading with the attackers that the animals were buffalos and were not meant for slaughter, but in vain. Some, he said, were provoking the others to set the vehicles on fire.
The identified as Abdul Rehman, said: "Around 8.30pm, our trucks and tempos were crossing from near the Jharoda Kalan drain. As we slowed down at a sharp turn, we saw a mob intercept the tempo that had the animals.
Most of the men were drunk." "They started abusing us and asked where we were headed. When we told them, they got furious and pulled us out of our vehicles. The drivers in the other two trucks abanadoned their vehicles and fled," the 27-year-old said.
Tehsim, said: "One of them shouted that we are trying to take cows for slaughter. We pleaded with them and told them that the animals were buffaloes, and not meant for slaughter, but they did not listen. They threatened, abused, and assaulted us."
A police control room vehicle arrived at the spot almost an hour after this ordeal. By then, most of the accused had melted in the crowd that had gathered to watch the ruckus.
The police, however, said as soon as a local informed them about the incident, they took immediate action and sent a team to the spot. An FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 341(punishment for wrongful restraint), they added.
"There were 65-70 animals in four vehicles. The mob had vandalised the vehicles, which have been seized. We are trying to get CCTV footage of nearby areas to identify the miscreants. We suspect that most of them are locals, and efforts are on to identify them. The injured were taken to hospital and, based on their statements, a case was registered," a senior police officer said.'
Grim record
June, 2017: Over 100 people lynch a trader, 45, after suspecting him of carrying beef in his car in Jharkhand.
April: 'Vigilantes' beat three men transporting buffaloes in a truck near the Kalkaji Metro station in south Delhi.
April: A 55-year-old man dies after a mob attacks him on a road in Alwar, Rajasthan.
June, 2016: 22 cow carcasses found in a truck on the Mathura-Delhi highway in Vrindavan lead to tension in the area.
October, 2015: Suspected Hindu extremists attack a truck with petrol bombs after hearing rumours that the truck had cow carcasses in Udhampur, Jammu.
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