About 60 KM away from Khandwa, in Sawlikheda village in Madhya Pradesh about 100 villagers caught 25 people suspected of cow smuggling and tied them with a rope. They were reportedly forced to chant “Gau mata ki jai”. Later, they were all taken to the police station and handed over to the police.
#WATCH Several people tied with a rope and made to chant “Gau mata ki jai” in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh on accusation of carrying cattle in their vehicles. (7.7.19) (Note – Abusive language) pic.twitter.com/5pbRZ4hNsR
— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2019
As can be seen in the video attached in the above tweet, the alleged cow smugglers were tied with a rope and were forced to hold their ears while being asked to chant “Gau mata ki jai”. The police had registered a case of cow smuggling against the alleged offenders and about 16 people have been arrested in the case so far.
The Superintendent of police, Shivdayal Singh has said that the police has registered cases against both the suspected smugglers involved in smuggling of cattle as well as the villagers. “We have filed a case against the villagers and a farmer who didn’t inform us of nabbing these cow smugglers and took law in their hands,” Singh said. The police have also confiscated 8 vehicles from the accused in which they transported cows, along with the smuggled cattle.
Khandwa Police Station Officer-in-Charge Harishankar Rawat said, “A case has been registered against all 25 accused in the cattle transport, under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Prevention of Animals Act, and detailed investigation is underway.” He also revealed that 21 cows were seized from the smugglers and they have been sent to a nearby Gaushala. The cows were reportedly being transported to the neighbouring Maharashtra state for slaughter when the villagers caught the cow smugglers.
The police confirmed that the people caught by the villagers didn’t have any authorised documents for transporting cattle. The smugglers were presented in a court and they were remanded to judicial custody. Other than 8 four-wheelers and one two-wheeler, the police also confiscated gold and silver jewellery, mobile phone and cash from the smugglers/.
