Patna: The vigilante groups have suddenly gone overactive in the region ahead of Eid Al Adha, also known in India as Id-ul-Zuha or Bakr-Id, the feast of sacrifice, scheduled later this month. They are assaulting the traders carrying animals and handing over the “rescued” cattle to the police.

A group of cow vigilantes badly assaulted the driver and cleaner of a vehicle in Bihar’s Bhojpur district on Wednesday on the suspicion of carrying beef and then “seized” the vehicle. Reports said the driver was carrying the prohibited meat to Bhojpur district from adjacent Jehanabad district to be transported to neighbouring places when the vehicle got stuck in a roadside ditch.

The foul smell emanating from the truck soon attracted a group of local villagers who after finding the prohibited meat loaded there badly thrashed the persons riding the vehicle and angrily protested on the street demanding a ban on it. They were rescued only after the local police rushed to the spot and convinced the protesting villagers.

Another such incident was reported from Giridih district of Jharkhand where the vigilante group intercepted a vehicle carrying camels on Wednesday. Reports said the animals were being brought from northern Indian state of Rajasthan for slaughter during Eid Al Adha.

Acting on the complaint, the police later registered a case against three persons saying the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India permits slaughter of only four categories of animals and since camel doesn’t figure in any of these categories, they can’t hand them back to the people for slaughter. The camels have now been put in the Bagodar police station premises under heavy security arrangements.

Last week, supporters of a hard-core Hindu outfit, Bajrang Dal, had assaulted three persons for carrying cattle for slaughter in Vaishali district of Bihar. The attackers dragged out three men riding the vehicle carrying bull and thrashed them badly in full public view, leaving them severely injured. The injured persons were admitted to a local hospital for treatment.

In June this year, the cow vigilantes had assaulted another two men for carrying buffaloes. The victims were carrying the cattle when the mob intercepted the vehicle in Bihar’s Gopalganj district, dragged the persons sitting inside and beat them with canes. The mob also torched the vehicle after taking out the cattle. The vehicle was coming from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.