In the Gaya Nagar area in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district, an uproar has erupted after the severed head of a calf was found on 23rd June. On Monday, several activists of Hindu rights groups Hindu Yuva Manch and Rashtriya Bajrang Dal gathered in large numbers and staged a protest by gheraoing the collectorate. The Hindu activists first gathered at the Indira Market and subsequently took out a rally towards the DM office.
According to Bhilai SSP Sukhnandan Rathore, an investigation is underway based on CCTV footage, and the calf’s head has been sent to a laboratory for testing. He stated that if the case is proven, action will be taken under the Animal Cruelty Act. On Sunday night, Hindu groups who arrived encircling the police station alleged that some Muslims were behind the calf’s slaughter. The police resorted to lathi-charge on the protestors to calm down the situation. The police have said that a dog had brought the head of a dead calf.
The local police have claimed that the protesters interpreted this episode differently. The calf’s head was found near a water tank in Gaya Nagar. There was a demonstration at Patel Chowk over this. After receiving the information, the cops from Mohan Nagar police station arrived and seized the head. The Dainik Bhaskar report also claims that no one chopped off the calf’s head and threw it away; instead, a dog brought it to Gaya Nagar, where dead animals are thrown.
The head of this calf was found in Ward 4 of Girdhari Nagar. The police inspector has also been injured in the clashes that took place during the protest. CCTV footage showed that a dog had brought the calf’s head. Hindus staged a demonstration from the Sheela Hotel in Durg to the Collectorate. ASP Ashok Jha stated that after getting information regarding this around 7:30 p.m., when the police attempted to seize the bovine head, people began protesting. A team has been constituted to quickly investigate the case.