The two Muslim women who were thrashed at Mandsaur railway station in Madhya Pradesh on the suspicion of carrying beef on Thursday alleged that they were beaten at the behest of Bajrang Dal workers, even as the GRP arrested four persons in connection with the case.
When we were coming to Mandsaur, few Bajrang Dal activists stopped us and enquired about what we were carrying. We told them that it was ‘Paade ke meat’ (buffalo calf meat), they did not listen to us and said that it was beef. Later, when we told them to get it examined from a doctor (veterinarian), they did not agree to it and asked the other women with them to beat us.Salma, one of the victims
The woman further alleged that they (activists) also threatened policemen when the latter tried to protect them.
The victims, Salma Mevati (35) and Shamim Akthar Hussain (30), both local residents, were allegedly thrashed by self-appointed cow vigilantes. Later, police arrested the duo on suspicion of carrying beef.
However, after it was found to be buffalo meat, police dropped the charges against them. Subsequently, a local court granted bail to the two women.
After the lab test proved that they were carrying buffalo meat, they were charged under Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Cattle Preservation Act, 1959, which provides a maximum punishment of one year.
Salma demanded that those who attacked them and took law into their hands should be arrested soon.
The case was initially registered by Mandsaur Police and later transferred to the Government Railway Police (GRP) as the incident took place on the railway platform.
GRP Ratlam’s Deputy Superintendent of Police DRS Chauhan said that four persons, identified as Govind Rao Chouhan, Dilip Devda, Swadesh Chanal and Vikas Ahir, were arrested today in connection with the incident.
They were identified on the basis of a video footage.
Regarding women involved in the incident, the DSP said that after their identification they too would be arrested, and added that efforts are on to trace them.
The four men arrested have been booked under Sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC, Chauhan added.
The activists allegedly acted on a tip-off that the women were carrying beef and reacted by thrashing them.
This news comes two weeks after four dalit men were publicly stripped and beaten for allegedly skinning a cow in Una, Gujarat. The incident has led to protests across the states and the issue was raised in the Parliament.
In a video that surfaced, the women are cornered by a crowd that is heard screaming “Gau Mata Ki Jai”. They are slapped and punched by the women in the mob until one of them collapses.
Chief Judicial Magistrate MA Khan granted bail to both Salma Mevati and Shamim Akthar Hussain.
The bail was granted on personal bonds of Rs 25,000 each and surety of equal amount, said advocate Umesh Parmar, one of their lawyers.
Opposition Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress created an uproar in Rajya Sabha, on Wednesday, protesting the treatment of the two women at the hands of the activists.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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