Rajasthan: 7 held for ‘transporting’ cattle for slaughter

An FIR was later registered under sections of the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition on Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995, against Azad, Jabir, Farooq and Shaukat, who were in the first truck, at Dholpani police station.

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Meanwhile, following the information and the vehicle number, Chhoti Sadri police, which is closer to Nimbahera, set up a check-post on the highway between Nimbahera and Dholapani. Members of the Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena also reportedly kept watch on the road. According to Chhoti Sadri SHO Kailash Chand, the second truck was eventually caught by vigilantes and police. The mob stripped at least one of the three persons on the truck, and beat up all three.

“Bajrang Dal members got to know of the incoming truck and a mob, including common men, had gathered. The truck tried to escape but police and Bajrang Dal members caught up with it. We tried to take the transporters into custody but the mob beat them up and stripped one of them,” SHO Chand said.

“Four among the 52 bovine being transported —- their legs were tied and they were crammed on either side of a horizontal partition —- had died. This angered the mob, who beat them up. They also attacked police, injuring some policemen, and tried to set fire to the truck,” he said.

An FIR was registered under the Rajasthan Bovine Animal Act against Nabi, Mukhtayar and Ajju, who were transporting cows in this truck, at Chhoti Sadri police station.

A third FIR was lodged at the police station Wednesday against Ranu Soni, Mukesh Mali, Kailash Mali, Ravi, Sumit Sharma and 100-150 others. “These were members of Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena as well as the general public,” said Chand. The FIR was lodged under IPC sections including 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive) and 149 (unlawful assembly). “We have arrested Dinesh, who was among the attackers, and are on the lookout for others,” Chand said.

While the bullocks were sent to a local cowshed, the seven transporters are in jail.

Chhoti Sadri Circle Officer Om Prakash Upadhyay said, “Both trucks were transporting 44 and 52 bullocks, respectively The transporters mainly hailed from Madhya Pradesh and were coming from Ajmer and Jaipur. They said they were taking the bullocks to Gujarat and Maharashtra for slaughter. We keep coming across such cases every few months.”