At least 25 people were tied with a rope and paraded through a 2-km stretch to a police station in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, 7 July, for allegedly transporting cows to Maharashtra.
WHAT WE KNOW
A video of the purported incident showed several villagers carrying sticks and forcing the alleged cattle-transporters to do sit-ups holding their ears amid cries of "Gau Mata Ki Jai".
The incident happened in Sanwalikheda village in Khalwas area, about 60 kilometres from the district headquarters, a police official said.
WHAT ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN
Khandwa Superintendent of Police Shiv Dayal Singh told PTI that the people ferrying the cattle without requisite permissions were booked under appropriate charges. Singh said, “We have also lodged a case against the villagers, including farmers, for ill-treating those booked for unauthorised cattle transport."
“Villagers brought the group transporting cows to our police station. We seized 21 trucks used for the purpose. The cows have been shifted to a shelter. They were taking the cows from Harda district in MP to Maharashtra.”Inspector Harishanker Rawat of Khalwas police station
An Indian Express report further stated that three Bajrang Dal activists were taken into custody on Monday for allegedly tying the 25 people.
Quoting police, the report said that the trio, Vinod Kishanlal, Rajesh Varma and Prince Mehta were aided by other villager who are yet to be identified.
All three have been booked under various sections of IPC including Sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement).
THE BIG PICTURE
The incident comes a day before the start of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly session in which the Kamal Nath government is likely to table an amendment in a law to curb violence in the name of cow protection.
The state cabinet last month approved the proposal to amend the MP Cow Progeny Slaughter Prevention Act, 2004.
The move to amend the law, cleared during the previous BJP government, came after a Muslim man and woman were beaten up on suspicion of carrying beef in MP's Seoni district in May.
(With inputs from PTI and Indian Express)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)