A cow vigilante was shot while chasing six alleged cow smugglers in the wee hours of Thursday, 10 October, in Gurugram. The alleged smugglers were said to be transporting five cows from Gurugram to Mewat in Haryana, reported The Times of India.
Monu, a resident of Manesar, along with some associates, had reportedly received a tip-off from sources about a plan to smuggle cows to Mewat. He set out to chase the mini truck which was allegedly being used to transport them.
During the chase, Monu was shot in the chest and is currently admitted at a hospital in Gurugram.
Gurugram DCP (crime) Rajiv Deshwal told ANI that police vehicles also followed on the chase.
“Six cow smugglers were carrying cows in a vehicle. When the cow vigilantes saw them, they chased the vehicle & informed police. Police vehicles also followed them.”Rajiv Deshwal, DCP, Gurugram (crime)
He added that the smugglers began throwing cows off the vehicle to get rid of the police and vigilantes on their tail.
Deshwal also said that eventually the cow smugglers started firing bullets, one of which hit a member of a cow vigilante organisation, who was immediately admitted to hospital.
“Five of the six smugglers have been identified and the vehicle of smugglers has been recovered. A search for the smugglers is underway,” he said, according to ANI.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Rajeev Mittal, the national general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Kranti Dal said that he had known Monu for at least 10 years and that he was a cow vigilante and regularly caught smugglers.
Speaking to The Times of India, Manoj, an associate who was present during the incident said that chase began from Bhondsi and ended up Kadipur. The shooting happened after the smugglers stopped their car and the vigilantes got out of their vehicle to surround them, Manoj said, according to the report.
(With inputs from ANI, Hindustan Times and The Times of India.)
(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.)