This is an archive article published on August 17, 2023
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Court rejects bail plea of ‘cow vigilante’ in Igatpuri murder case
Six men, affiliated to right wing outfit Bajrang Dal, were arrested in June by the Igatpuri police on charges, including murder after Lukman Suleman Ansari, who along with two others was transporting cattle on June 8, was found murdered.
One of the accused, 26-year-old Vijay Bhagade had filed for bail last month stating that he had not committed the murder and that he had only brought the cattle to the police station to file a complaint.
Observing that no one is permitted to take the life of another human being under the pretext of any organisation working for the better cause of society, a sessions court in Nashik recently rejected the bail application of a man arrested for allegedly killing a 25-year-old man in Igatpuri, claiming to be cow vigilantes.
Six men, affiliated to right wing outfit Bajrang Dal, were arrested in June by the Igatpuri police on charges, including murder after Lukman Suleman Ansari, who along with two others was transporting cattle on June 8, was found murdered. The Igatpuri police has so far arrested nine persons in the case, including local office-bearers of the Bajrang Dal.
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One of the accused, 26-year-old Vijay Bhagade had filed for bail last month stating that he had not committed the murder and that he had only brought the cattle to the police station to file a complaint. The court said that there was no substance in this argument by the accused.“If it is the story of the defence, no such documentary proof is filed on record about handover of cattle to the Goshala by the applicant (Bhagade)… No one is permitted to take the life of any human being under the pretext of any organisation working for the better cause to the society. In such circumstances, considering the gravity of the offence, role of applicant, brutal murder of the person only on the ground of transportation of the cattle does not cause me to grant benefit of pre-arrest bail,” the additional sessions judge in Nashik said in his order.
The court also considered other evidence, including CCTV footage showing the accused’s presence, and witness statements. Last month, the court had rejected the pre-arrest bail plea of four persons booked in the case on similar grounds.
One of the accused, 26-year-old Vijay Bhagade had filed for bail last month stating that he had not committed the murder and that he had only brought the cattle to the police station to file a complaint. 
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