Javed, originally from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, has been operating a ready-made garments shop in Nahan, Himachal Pradesh, for the past 1.5 years. On Bakrid, Javed shared pictures of an animal sacrifice on his WhatsApp status. In the image, he is seen smiling and standing with a knife close to a slaughtered animal, with other people in the background.
Hindu rights organisations have alleged that Javed slaughtered a cow and shared a picture of it on his WhatsApp. Hindu groups protested and called for action when they arrived at Javed’s garments shop in Nahan. Furthermore, they stated that Javed should never again be permitted to work in Nahan. There are rumours that some participants in this rally turned violent. In Nahan, a rally has also been planned by Hindu organisations.
Since the incident, Javed has absconded from Nahan, and the police are searching for him. Hindu organisations have also reported this to the police in a complaint. In this case, OpIndia was informed by the Nahan police station’s SHO that Javed most likely did not make this sacrifice in Nahan.
He stated that a probe into the matter is underway, and Javed’s whereabouts are being tracked down. He said that it is still unclear which animal was slaughtered as a sacrifice. He added that locals in Nahan are outraged over Javed’s alleged act.
A purported video of the protest taken by Hindu organisations has gone viral. This shows an enormous crowd in front of Javed’s shop. Hindu organisations have urged that those from other communities who have travelled to Nahan to open shops be subject to additional verification and should not be given shops without any prior approval.
A Vishwa Hindu Parishad activist claimed that Muslim outsiders are taking shops for exorbitant rent rates across the state of Himachal Pradesh, including Nahan. These people are attempting to undermine the peace in society by taking shops on high rents that the average person cannot afford. He also spoke about taking action against Javed in UP’s Saharanpur.
Shamli SSP Abhishek said that the team has investigated the matter. The investigation has found that Javed did not sacrifice a prohibited animal during the sacrifice. An authorized animal was sacrificed. In this case, the police have registered a case under section 153-A, 505 (2) for animal cruelty and hurting religious sentiments.
SSP Abhishek further added that since the picture on social media was a bit gruesome, an FIR has been registered for inciting communal sentiments.
Note: The article and the headline has been updated to include police findings in the case