3 Cow Vigilantes Arrested for Attacking Men Carrying Meat in Faridabad

Faridabad: Three people were on Sunday arrested in connection with the attack carried out by supposed cow vigilantes on a rickshaw driver and his friends over suspicion that they were ferrying cow meat, the police said.

Those arrested have been identified as locals Lakhan, Dileep, Ram Kumar, a police official said, adding they were being questioned at the Assistant Commissioner of Police's office in Mujesar.

ACP (Mujesar) Radhshyam said the arrested trio was being quizzed and others involved in the case will be held soon.

On the morning of October 13, the auto-rickshaw driver Azad, along with his four friends, was on his way from Fatehpur Billauch to Old Faridabad when 15-20 men intercepted their vehicle near Bajri village, the police said.

A video of the incident shows one of the assaulters pinning the auto driver to the ground and abusing him while the mob, chanting ‘Jai Hanuman’, eggs him on.

According to Azad, the group thrashed them and then called up the police. They handed Azad over to the police alleging that he was a cow-smuggler, a police official said.

The official said that based on the complaint of the group, initially a case was registered against the auto-rickshaw driver under the laws related to cow slaughter.

However, it emerged during the initial probe that it was buffalo meat that Azad and his friends were transporting.

"In the initial investigation, it was found that it was buffalo meat and not beef that was being transported.

Therefore, a case under relevant sections was registered on the complaint of Azad. Further action will be taken after probing the matter," SHO, Mujesar police station, Vinod Singh, had said on Saturday. The meat has been sent to a forensic lab for further tests, he had said.

Earlier one Bittu Bajrangi, who identified himself as the chief of the 'Gorakhsha Bajrang Force', told the police that members of his group had suspected beef being carried in the auto-rickshaw.

According to Bittu, soon a crowd gathered at the spot which thrashed the five men, the SHO said.

(With PTI inputs)