Three arrested after 38 booked in Aligarh mob assault over carrying ‘cow meat’
Three arrested after 38 booked in Aligarh mob assault over carrying ‘cow meat’
M.U.H
27/05/202532
Three persons were arrested on Sunday in connection with an assault on four men and setting their vehicle on fire in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district on Saturday on the suspicion of transporting cow meat, police said.
An FIR was registered at the Harduaganj police station on Saturday against 38 people, 13 by name and 25 unnamed, on the complaint of Salim Khan, the father of Akeel, one of the men who were assaulted.
The four injured — Akeel (35), Nadeem (32), Akil (43) and Arbaaj (38) — are receiving treatment at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC) Hospital, Aligarh, and their condition is stable, a police official said.
The assault case was filed under sections 191(2) (rioting), 191(3) (unlawful assembly), 190 (unlawful assembly to commit an offence), 109 (attempt to murder), 308 (extortion), 310(2) (robbery) and 3(5) (joint criminal liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, an official said.
Another FIR was registered under the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act on the complaint of one Vijay Bajrangi against unidentified people.
The investigators, however, did not divulge the names of those arrested or the others named in the FIR.
In his complaint, Salim Khan said, “The moment their vehicle reached Panaithi road, Ram Kumar Arya and Arjun as part of a conspiracy sent Chetan Lodhi, Shivam Hindu Lodhi, Lavkush, Anuj Bhura, Vijay, Girish Kumar and Ankit of Mahmudpur, Rana of Alhadadpur and Vijay Kumar Gupta to extort ‘Chauth’ (protection money) from them (assault victims).”
Chauth was a tax levied by the Maratha Empire in areas under Mughal control, which was 25% of the revenue.
“They pulled the four out of the vehicle and demanded Rs 50,000. When the four refused to pay the money, they were brutally beaten up with wooden and iron rods and were also robbed of their phones and money,” Khan told the police.
The meat they were transporting was brought from a meat factory at Al-Ambar, he said.
The police on Sunday issued a press statement with a video grab of the incident, calling for the general public to help them identify some of those involved in the assault. Posters of some of those named in the FIR were pasted at some places, it is learnt.
“This is to inform the general public that on May 24, visuals have come to our notice related to an incident that occurred between Panaithi road and Sadhu Ashram road under the jurisdiction of the Harduaganj police station,” read a statement issued by Atrauli Circle Officer Sarjana Singh.
“If anyone has any information about those seen in the visual, please inform the investigating officer Dheeraj Kumar. The identity and address of those sharing information will be kept a secret,” it added.
In his complaint, Bajrangi said on Saturday morning, he upon receiving a tip-off followed a vehicle near Ahladadpur village. “When I tried to stop the vehicle, the driver tried to run over me. Seeing this, labourers and farmers working in the nearby fields ran to the spot and the four men in the vehicle attacked them. When I checked their vehicle, I saw seven decapitated cows.”
“When the four were caught and questioned, they said they were smuggling cow meat by paying a bribe of Rs 3 lakh to police. We had informed the Harduagnaj police station nearly 15 days ago about the same vehicle carrying cow meat,” he alleged.
Harduganj Station House officer (SHO) Dheeraj Kumar said “We are investigating Bajrangi’s allegations. He has denied connection with the Bajrang Dal or any right-wing Hindu organisations.”
The police had previously said the vehicle had a licence and that it was carrying buffalo meat.
Salim Khan also mentioned in his complaint, “Fifteen days ago, a similar incident happened where these men were demanding Rs 50,000 but our vehicle was released after a team from the Akrabad police station intervened.”
