The Borasad police have made a significant breakthrough in the cow slaughter case that occurred on 21st August, coinciding with the day of Rakshabandhan. It has been revealed that the cow was slaughtered for ‘Niyaz’. For those unfamiliar, Niyaz refers to a ritual offering or sacrifice typically performed by the Muslim community. It is part of their religious or communal practices, involving the offering of food, usually meat, which is then distributed among community members.
This is done during special occasions and gatherings. In this instance, a cow was slaughtered on the Hindu festival of Rakshabandhan for some Islamic occasion. The prime suspects in the case, identified as Aslam, Hasim, and Sadiq, had been absconding but have now been arrested by the police.
As per reports, on 21st August, a cow’s head was discovered in a canal near Vanatalav leading to Tekriyapura, which sparked public outrage in the area. According to the police, the absconding accused were apprehended following relentless efforts and technical surveillance. During interrogation, the suspects revealed that they had purchased a cow and slaughtered it near a stable owned by a man named Gosmohammad. The cow’s meat was then taken to Almadina Nagar and used for the Niyaz offering. Subsequently, the accused disposed of the cow’s head and other remains by dumping them in the canal leading to Tekriyapura.
The police employed a combination of human and technical surveillance to track down the main accused in the case. They received a tip-off which led to the arrest of Mohammad Sadiq, alias Lalo Bhathiyaro, Rehmat Khan Pathan from Ashrafi Society, Hasim Mohammad Hanif from Almadina Nagar, and Mohammad Aslam, alias Poori, from the same locality. The suspects will be presented before the court following processing.
Background of the Borasad cow slaughter case
The incident occurred on the sacred day of Rakshabandhan, when a cow’s head was found in a canal near Tekriyapura. The canal supplies drinking and irrigation water to several villages around Borasad. After the discovery, members of the Hindu community protested, as the incident deeply hurt their religious sentiments.
Thousands of Hindus took to the streets in response, presenting a memorandum to the Borasad Mamlatdar (local revenue officer) demanding justice. A large rally of Hindus, chanting slogans like ‘Jai Shri Ram’, urged the authorities to halt cow slaughter in the region. Prominent local Hindu leaders participated in the rally, calling for immediate action to prevent future incidents of cow slaughter.
A complaint was lodged, leading to the police filing an FIR in Borasad cow slaughter case under sections BNS 299 and 325, along with the Animal Protection Act 8(2), against unidentified individuals.