On 12th November, Gau Rakshak Dal in Ludhiana intercepted a truck carrying 10 tons of beef. As per reports, the truck was travelling from Delhi to Jammu. The police were informed about the truck, and the apprehended accused were handed over to Ludhiana Police Commissionerate’s Kangnawal Police Station officials for further investigation.
The truck, originating from Al Kaif Foods Enterprises (Delhi), was intercepted by the Gau Raksha Dal on the New Delhi-Jammu National Highway in Dhandari Kalan, Ludhiana. The driver managed to escape, but the Gau Rakshaks captured his associates.
OpIndia accessed the copy of the FIR registered on the complaint of Nikseen Singh. It is registered against unnamed driver of the truck, Al Kaif Foods Enterprises (Delhi), Noor Enterprises Uttar Pradesh, Sultan from UP, Taaj Wali Sultan, Altaf Ahmed Jadhinu, Gulshan, Hajid Dilshad from Patiala and Kaka Saleem from Malerkotla under Sections 295(A), 153(A) and 429 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 3 and 8 of The Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act.
Speaking to OpIndia, Nikseen Kumar, chairman of Gau Raksha Dal in Punjab, said, “We received information about the truck four days ago. However, we were not sure on which date they would come and which route they would take. Hence, our activists were stationed at all possible routes to intercept the truck.”
Nikseen said when the truck did not cross Punjab till Diwali, they thought it would travel post-holidays. However, on the morning of 12th November, they received information from a source stationed near the Ambala toll that the truck crossed. The activists immediately took positions and started looking for the truck.
They found the truck parked on the side of the highway. He said, “These beef smugglers know about us and what our vehicles look like. While we look for these criminals, they often escape because of the information they have about us. The driver managed to escape that day, but we apprehended his associates.”
Nikseen further said that the Gau Raksha Dal apprehended at least four trucks of the same company in the past. He said, “The previous consignment of beef managed to escape.” He alleged the last consignment was taken in a large ambulance.
While looking for the truck, they also informed all police stations falling in the route. Nikseen added that initially, police were reluctant to file the FIR. However, after talking to the senior officials, an FIR was filed.
Gau Raksha Dal activist who led the team, Satish Kumar, told Dainik Bhaskar that when police did not reach the location where the truck was parked, they had to call DGP Arpit Shukla and Ludhiana Police Commissioner Mandeep Singh Sidhu.
Commissioner Sidhu directed the officials at Kanganwal Police Station to take immediate action, after which the FIR was registered.
Nikseen said they were waiting for the court’s permission for the proper burial of the carcasses as per Hindu rituals. He said, “It is important for us to do proper burial of the deceased cows. We sought permission from the court, and once we get the permission, it will be done according to the Hindu rituals.”
Cow slaughter is prohibited in most of the states in India. Slaughtering cows and transporting their meat is a punishable offence under different state laws. The ‘beef’ officially produced and sold in India is buffalo meat because cows are sacred in Hindu, Jain, and Sikh religions. Gau Rakshaks often play a vital role in capturing the criminal elements involved in beef smuggling. Gau Rakshaks, who take an oath to save the revered cows, are painted by the left-liberals as criminals and vigilantes. However, the theft and smuggling of cows not only hurts the religious sentiments of most Indians but also damages the rural economy because the cows are often stolen from poor farmers causing them great financial loss.
