Alwar: Men beaten by gau rakshaks had valid permits for transport of cows
The five men thrashed by gau rakshaks on Jaipur-Delhi highway near Behror on Saturday, leading to death of one in hospital on Monday, had valid permits for transport of cows and calves, said family member of one of the injured men.
“My brother bought three cows for Rs 75,000 from animal flea market in Jaipur on Saturday. He paid Rs 700 to Jaipur Municipal Corporation for transport permit,” said Yusuf Khan, brother of Azmat, who was among the five men assaulted by gau rakshaks.
The gau rakshaks attacked the two vehicles, carrying 10 bovine – two cows and their calves in one, and three cows and their calves in the other – alleging that the cattle were being smuggled for slaughter.
Yusuf shared with HT the two transport permits, one issued in the name of his brother, Azmat and the other, in the name of Irshad, another cow trader.
Local bodies — municipalities, municipal corporations, and panchayat bodies — issue transport permit when cattle are bought for farming.
“They left him to die,” Yusuf said, talking about the medical condition of Azmat, 22. “He has big clots under his left eye and is not able to hear but we have brought him home,” he added.
Pehlu Khan, the 55-year-old man who succumbed to his injuries in Kailash Hospital in Behror, was with his two sons, Arif and Irshad.
“His sons are numb as the village mourns their father’s unfortunate death. What was their fault? Buying cattle for farming is not a crime,” says another villager.
There was palpable tension in Jaisinghpura village in Nuh tehsil in Haryana, which is hub of cattle trade in the region. Nuh and Alwar fall in the Mewat region having high concentration of Muslims engaged in cow trade business. Since the BJP governments have come to power in Haryana and Rajasthan, different cow vigilante groups have become active in Alwar-Nuh belt leading to confrontations.
Husain Khan, Pehlu Khan’s relative, told HT that the old man told him before he died in hospital that the gau rakshaks tried to tear the transport permits when told they were legally transporting the cows.
“They vandalised the two vehicles, you can see in the video (he shared a video with HT) and beat these people so badly,” Husain Khan said.