4 truckers beaten up on charge of carrying cows for slaughter

NEW DELHI: Residents of Chilla village, near east Delhi’s Mayur Vihar, clashed with four truck drivers on Saturday night who were reportedly transferring buffaloes to a slaughter house in Gazipur.

The incident took place as the locals thought that the men were transporting cows for slaughter.

According to the police, over 200 locals gathered in the area and intercepted the trucks carrying buffaloes and calves.

The locals allegedly thrashed the drivers and the helpers and set more than 80 buffaloes and calves free.

The locals later staged a protest on the road to Gazipur creating chaos.

A number of police teams, including men from the riot control force, were rushed to the spot within minutes of the incident being reported on Saturday night. The situation, however, continued to remain tense till Sunday morning.

“The locals allegedly hurled stones at the trucks and damaged property. They beat up the four drivers and their helpers. They had apparently received news that the truckers were carrying cows to the slaughter house. The locals stopped the trucks and checked the vehicles only to find buffaloes in them. They still beat up the drivers and set the animals free,” a senior police officer said.

The police have seized all the four trucks and have registered cross FIRs in the matter. “While a case of damaging property, thrashing the drivers and causing violence, has been registered against the locals, a separate case under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act has been registered against the drivers as they had hurdled over 10-12 buffaloes in one truck when they are only allowed to load only 4-5 of them.