In the past two days, 17 cows were found slaughtered in two neighbouring villages in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh, with police saying that they suspect a group of 15-20 people behind it. The cows, according to the police, belonged to a government-run cowshed (gaushala) located nearby. According to the police, seven cow carcasses were found at Pawas village on Tuesday morning, and 10 at Lakhmipur village on Wednesday morning. Police also said that three persons — who they identified as dairy workers Hridesh (50), his son Shivam Chauhan (19) and Gaurav Solanki (24) – were beaten up by the alleged cow killers on early Wednesday morning while they were passing through the spot where the cows were killed. While one of the three men received minor injuries, two are undergoing treatment at hospitals and their condition is said to be stable. Circle Officer (Etah City) Vikran Dwivedi said that according to the three eyewitnesses, a group of 15 to 20 people were behind the cow slaughter. “The incidents happened under the Pawas Gram Panchayat, which has two villages - Pawas and Lakhmipur. There is a government-run gaushala there. These cows were taken from the gaushala. On the first day (Tuesday morning), seven cow carcasses were found at Pawas and 10 were found at Lakhmipur on Wednesday morning.,” the circle officer told The Indian Express. According to SHO (Kotwali Dehat) Sunil Kumar, after the three eyewitnesses raise an alarm when they were being beaten up, people from the nearby areas reached the spot. “But by then the accused fled. We suspect that the group is involved in cow smuggling,” said the SHO, adding the area has a predominantly Hindu population. Police said that two cases have been lodged at Kotwali (Dehat) in connection with two incidents under IPC sections 395 (dacoity), 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and under sections of UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act. Meanwhile, members of Bajrang Dal, VHP protested outside the Etah district collectorate and demanded “strictest action” against the cow killers.
