6 Muslims and one Hindu held for cow slaughter in Chhatarpur, NSA invoked

The district authorities have also initiated process to book the seven under the National Security Act.

Six Muslims and one Hindu youth were arrested for cow slaughter in Chhatarpur on Wednesday, three days after a carcass was found near Balaji temple in Shuklana Mohalla leading to protests by right-wing organizations.

Rania alias Satish Sen, a 21-year-old resident of Shuklana Mohalla, told the police that he and Janu alias Jan Mohammed, a 22-year-old resident of Samninagar Mohalla, collected a carver and a sack from Pitte alias Bashir, a 56-year-old meat trader, before slaughtering the cow late in the intervening night between Saturday and Sunday.

They slaughtered the animal on an open plot and passed on the meat to Pitte. Investigating Officer K N Arjaria told The Indian Express that Rania was arrested after he was found stealthily parking a stolen motorbike used in the crime.

While Janu is absconding, Rania told the police that the gang slaughtered another stray cow near Singhadi river on December 18. The police arrested Hyder Mulla, 22, Pitte, Amin, 48, and Mohammed Vahid, 25, after registering a separate case.

More than 50 police men were deployed when the seven accused were produced before a court that remanded them in police custody till Thursday. The district authorities have also initiated process to book the seven under the National Security Act.

The incident whipped up communal passion with right-wing organizations forcing the local market to shut down on Sunday and giving the police an ultimatum to quickly arrested those involved in cow slaughter.

The authorities were worried because the photographs of the carcass were being circulated on social media fuelling further tension. The police authorities said they have appealed to put in place a mechanism to shelter stray cows because the gang was targeting only stray cows.

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