Four persons including two farmers, who bought cattle from a weekly fair in Sanawad town, were thrashed and partially tonsured allegedly by members of a right-wing group near Khandwa. Members of a Gauraksha Samiti — cow protection group — stopped two pick-up vehicles and accused Sanjay Gurjar, Shubham Tulsidas, Somchand Gurjar and Karan Yadav of carrying cattle for slaughter on Monday. “They were stripped to confirm their religion, thrashed and tonsured,” advocate Rakesh Thapak said Wednesday after securing bail for his clients who were charged under the state’s anti cow slaughter Act. [related-post] The four pleaded with the activists and showed them the receipts to prove that the cattle were purchased from the weekly fair for agriculture activity. The activists did not listen and after thrashing and tonsuring them, took them to Dhangaon Police Station where a case was lodged against them. The four spent 24 hours in police custody and the next 24 hours in jail because they did not seek bail hoping that police will subject them to medical examination. Thapak said Judicial Magistrate First Class Namita Borasi, while releasing the four on bail, sought a report from police on how they were booked when they showed documents. Police officers had told local media that a case will be lodged against the right-wing activists.
