Man assaulted by ‘gau sevaks’ in Haridwar; 5 detained after video emerges

The FIR names Pawan and four others under Sections voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful confinement, rioting, and criminal intimidation under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita at Kankhal police station.

Saddam, who belongs to the Van Gujjar ethnic community, was transporting his milch cows to get them examined at Dinarpur. “When they saw my vehicle, they stopped me, pulled me out, and started beating me. I told them that they were my milch cows and that I am a Van Gujjar. I said I was taking them to Dinarpur and not going to slaughter them, but they said they would kill me. They took me to the jungle after making a video, and I told them that they could take me to the police station. They said the police are not responsible enough and that they would do the needful,” Saddam said. Almost an hour later, a man who runs a gaushala arrived and stopped them, he added. “The men had demanded that I pay Rs 20,000 for my release. After the incident, I went home. When the video went viral, the police sought me out and summoned me to the station to file a complaint,” Saddam said. “Aren’t we allowed to raise cows anymore?” he asked.

The police said that five men were summoned to the police station and detained in connection with the incident. “We released them after serving notices,” said an officer. The victim was transporting cows to a man to get them checked, and not for slaughter, police said. “The main accused is a local. They pose as cow protectors and have been indulging in such acts to increase their social media visibility. We saw the video on the day of the incident and received the complaint shortly after,” said an officer at the police station. He added that Saddam sustained minor injuries in the incident.