2 men stripped, whipped for allegedly transporting beef; then cops arrest them

Bilaspur SP Parul Mathur said there was no formal complaint against the man seen assaulting the two in a video. “And if the family members register a complaint, police will surely identify the man who was seen beating the accused in the video,” Mathur added

RAIPUR: Two men who were stripped and paraded in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur after allegations that they were transporting beef have been arrested under the state’s Chhattisgarh Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act that prohibits the slaughter of cattle, police said on Wednesday.

The two men humiliated and assaulted by the crowd were later arrested by the Chhattisgarh police on charges of transporting and selling beef. (Videograb/Sourced)

The two men, stripped to their underwear, were seen walking with their motorcycle in a widely-circulated video. They were followed by a crowd and a person is seen whipping one of the two men. HT cannot verify the authenticity of the video clip.

The Bilaspur police said the two men, identified as Narsingh Rohidas (50) and Ramniwas Mehar (52), have been arrested on charges of transporting and attempting to sell 33kg of beef.

Bilaspur superintendent of police Parul Mathur said the accused were planning to sell the beef and were arrested. “We have booked them under relevant laws and sent them to jail on Wednesday,” Mathur said.

Police said that the action was taken following a complaint by a person identified as Sumit Nayak of Nayapara area.

The Bilaspur district SP indicated the police weren’t looking for the men who stripped or assaulted the two accused because no one had lodged a formal complaint.

“Police have not got any complaint regarding the beating of the accused. And if the family members register a complaint, police will surely identify the man who was seen beating the accused in the video,” the SP added.