india

Updated: Dec 23, 2018 14:48 IST

Farman, 36, sustained a bullet injury during an ‘encounter’ with police this month, and was booked for alleged involvement in cow slaughtering.

Police flashed the news in the wee hours of December 11. A cow slaughterer was arrested after he sustained a bullet injury in the jungle of village Saundat. Four cows and a calf were recovered from his possession along with a rope, knives and other weapons used in slaughtering.

Cops said his seven aides managed to escape. Later, they too were named in the case.

But at the home of the alleged cow slaughterer Farman (goes by single name) in village Saundat, his wife Afsana (goes by single name), and neighbours cry foul, accusing the police of concocting the encounter story. Afsana,30, claimed that the cops took away her husband at night and returned after an hour to take away their two cows and a calf. She said when she inquired about her husband’s whereabouts, they threatened to send her to jail. “I got a phone call from my husband from the district hospital in the morning, narrating his horrific tale of being injured in the leg,” she said, adding that soon after receiving first aid, he was sent behind bars.

“I met him in jail on December 16 . I was able to do so only after getting help from the former pradhan of the village, Shakeel (goes by single name),” said Afsana. “We were earning our livelihood by selling the milk of our two cows and a buffalo. We are poor people,” said Afsana. “Neighbours have been supporting us, providing food and other basics,”sheadded. Villagerslike Shamshad Thekedar said they did not buy the narrative of the police. “He is a simple person and never got involved in any illegal activity,” he said.

Charges true: Police

Inspector of Parikshatgarh police station, under which village Saundat falls, Ashok Kumar Singh, denied that Farman was picked up from home. “He was involved in cow slaughtering. If the family’s claims of owning these cows are true, then they should be able to produce a ‘hulia’ (description of the animal mentioned in a document issued by the seller) for it. The family has failed to present any such document,”hesaid. However,Afsana said they had the ‘hulia’ for only one of their cows. Pradhan Shakeel explained: “A ‘hulia’ is usually given when cattle is bought from the market. In the village, when people directly sell their animals to their neighbours or acquaintances, they generally don’t provide a ‘hulia’.”