One of the three men beaten up near Kalkaji on Saturday night. One of the three men beaten up near Kalkaji on Saturday night.

Three men transporting buffaloes from Haryana have been arrested by the Delhi Police under charges of animal cruelty, news channel NDTV reported. The three were assaulted in South Delhi’s Kalkaji by animal welfare activists allegedly belonging to the People For Animals (PFA), an organisation chaired by Union Minister Maneka Gandhi.

On Sunday, police registered an FIR based on the PFA members complaint. An FIR was also registered against unknown persons in connection with the assault. The activists intercepted a truck transporting 14 buffaloes to Ghazipur Mandi, which has a legal slaughterhouse, and allegedly assaulted the truck’s occupants. The police arrived at the spot after being tipped-off by a PFA office-bearer and seized the truck. The victims, identified by the police as Rizwan, Kamil and Ashu, were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Center for treatment. And the bovines were kept under the case of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“A case under section 429 IPC read with 11 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act has been registered on the complaint of PFA members. And on the statement of vehicle driver Rizwan, a resident of Pataudi in Gurgaon district of Haryana, another case has been registered under 323/341/34 of the IPC at Kalkaji police station,” Delhi South-East DCP Romila Baniya said in a statement.

A statement issued by Union Minister Maneka Gandhi’s office claimed that the PFA activists had nothing to do with last night’s attack.

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