Dadri Repeated! Another Man Lynched To Death In The Presence Of Police Allegedly For Smuggling Cow

By Countercurrents.org

17 October, 2015

Countercurrents.org

Close on the heels of the gory lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, another man was lynched to death by a mob in the presence of police in Sarahan, in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, India allegedly for smuggling cow.

According Yogesh Rota, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Pachhad, a truck carrying five cows and ten oxen was spotted by local people who chased the vehicle. Abandoning the truck, the five alleged cow smugglers took shelter in a nearby forest at Lawasa Chowki adjacent to Sarahan-Chandigarh road, said the Deputy Superintendent of Police.The police, with the help of local villagers, arrested all the five cow smugglers, after several hours of chase in the forest. The villagers, who far outnumbered the policemen, beat up the alleged cow smugglers after they were overpowered.

One of the arrested persons identified as Noman (28), a resident of Rampur village of Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, died at Sarahan hospital where he was taken. According to DNA his relative Imran Asgar, who was travelling with him claimed that Noman was beaten up by Bajrang Dal activists after they stopped the truck carrying cattle. A case of murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code was registered on the complaint filed by Imran. Police are yet to make any arrest. The body of Noman has been sent for postmortem.

Mr Rolta said that other four accused of cow smuggling, Mohd Nishu (37), driver of the truck, Guljar (22), Salman (20) and Gulfam (24), all residents of village Rampur of Saharanpur district, would be produced in a local court. All the accused have been booked under different sections of Cruelty against Animals Act. The truck, carrying the oxen and cows, was impounded by police.

Cattle slaughter and sale of beef are banned in Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh, while several states with BJP governments have in recent months enforced and enhanced long-dormant laws imposing such prohibitions as right-wing groups push for a nationwide ban.

Yesterdat Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that Muslims can live in India only if they give up eating beef.

The incident comes about three weeks after a mob lynched a 50-year-old man, Mohammed Akhlaq, over the rumours of eating and storing beef. The Muslim man's killing on 28 September led to a massive outrage across the country. Several noted writers and poets are still surrendering their prestigious awards, mostly Sahitya Akademi, to register their protest over the incident and the Centre's prolonged silence on the issue.

After keeping silent on the Dadri lynching for three weeks Prime Minister Narendra Modi who belongs to the right wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had earlier this week said in Bihar election rally that the Dadri incident "unfortunate", but added that his government had nothing to do with them.