DISQUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
October 9, 2015: A cow slaughter rumour led to violence and arson at Karhal town in Mainpuri district last year. Villagers pounced on two butchers who were transporting cow hide but police intervened and took the duo into custody. Not satisfied with the action, villagers stopped a police jeep and tried to drag the two butchers Lalla and Shafiq out. A mob targeted shops owned by Muslims, and set a tempo loader and a motorcycle on fire. The then deputy inspector general, Agra range, Laxmi Singh said the cow in question had died a day earlier and the butchers had the licence to remove its skin. June 24, 2016: Chaos prevailed on the Agra-Delhi highway after cow protection vigilantes found 50 dead cows in a truck parked on a road near Chaumuha village in Jait area of Mathura. They set the truck afire and pelted the police with stones. The incident affected traffic on the National Highway. The station house officer (SHO) of Vrindavan and in-charge of Jait police outpost in Mathura were suspended for their negligence in dealing with the situation. July 24, 2016: Five traders ferrying cattle in a vehicle were beaten up by villagers on a highway in Mathura. Self-styled ‘gau rakshaks’ stopped the vehicle near Akbarpur and roughed up Aleem, Montu, Chuttan, Sahil and Suhail. Montu was seriously injured and referred to Agra for treatment. The traders pleaded that they were not involved in cow slaughter and were ferrying buffalo calves purchased from Kosi to Aligarh. Their belongings, including cash and mobile phones, were also taken away by the attackers. The ‘gau rakshaks’ even released the traders’ cattle. July 26, 2016: Gau-Rakshak Sena and BJP Yuva Morcha activists caught hold of a youth, Sonu, and created a ruckus following rumours that a bull had been killed. Sonu and his friends had attacked the bull with a sharp edged weapon when it was near his home in Chamunda Colony. The bull fell on the ground leading to rumour that it had been killed. Police later shifted the injured bull to a veterinary hospital.