Death of suspected cattle smugglers fuels tension

HALDWANI: Four members of a suspected gang of cattle smugglers died when their SUV rammed into a temple near the Uttarakhand industrial town of Rudrapur early on

HALDWANI: Four members of a suspected gang of cattle smugglers died when their SUV rammed into a temple near the Uttarakhand industrial town of Rudrapur early on Monday, triggering communal tension over rumours they were killed by cow vigilantes.

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Police said five men were carrying carcasses of a cow and an ox in a Scorpio to Rampur in Uttar Pradesh but the driver lost control in Dineshpur near Rudrapur, 250 km from New Delhi, and hit a roadside temple. All four, natives of Rampur, were killed instantly.

Soon rumour spread that they were killed by Hindu vigilantes and people from nearby areas poured into Rudrapur, where the bodies were brought for autopsy.

Police suspect the gang used to visit Rudrapur and target stray cattle at night in isolated areas.

The district administration sent additional forces to pre-empt any flare-up in the communally sensitive area. “A company of the provincial armed constabulary was immediately rushed to the spot,” additional SP Pankaj Bhatt said.

“We have taken the statement of the lone survivor. He said it was a road accident and there is nothing communal about it.”

Police stepped up vigil to stop the spread of rumours, fuelled by Hindu vigilantes stepping up attacks across the country on cattle traders to enforce a ban on beef.