Cow vigilante allegedly shot at by smugglers in Nuh

The injured identified as Sonu Yadav alias Sonu Sarpanch, a resident of Rewari, was admitted to a multi-speciality hospital in Gurugram’s Sector 38 and is reported critical, said police

Updated on: Jun 15, 2024, 13:34:02 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Gurugram: A 38-year-old man was allegedly shot at by cattle smugglers early Saturday morning in Haryana’s Nuh, police said, adding his condition is said to be critical. The incident took place around 4.45am.

Police said the man, a cow vigilante, and six others were chasing a vehicle, suspected to be smuggling cattle, on the Delhi-Mumbai expressway near Ferozepur Jhirka, when they were attacked by the alleged smugglers.

The injured identified as Sonu Yadav alias Sonu Sarpanch, a resident of Rewari, was admitted to a multi-speciality hospital in Gurugram’s Sector 38 and is reported critical, said police.

The suspects who were smuggling cattle from Rajasthan were being chased by the vigilantes on a tip-off, said police.

According to the police, the incident took place when members of a cow protection task force received information that some suspected cattle smugglers from Rajasthan were on their way to Nuh in a pick-up van.

Narender Bijarniya, superintendent of police, Nuh, said that the members of a cow task force tried to intercept the van, but the suspects started firing at them.

“One of them suffered one bullet injury in his stomach and the suspects fled from the spot, leaving the van. The police team chased and arrested one of the suspects. We are questioning him to get details of his associates and from where they had stolen the cattle,” he said.

Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, a member of Bajrang Dal and counsel for cow vigilantes, said that Yadav is being operated on and is reported critical. “The cases of cattle smuggling have increased in the last few years and such incidents are becoming rampant in the district. The new expressway is used by these smugglers to safely smuggle cattle,” he said.

Police said the suspects are from Rajasthan as per preliminary investigations. A case was registered under sections 5, 13 (2) and 17 of the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, and section 307 (attempt to murder) at Ferozepur Jhirka police station.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More