By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Rajouri: A septuagenarian tribal man Lal Hussaina, a resident of Gundha village of Keri, was thrashed by a group of so-called cow vigilantes in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, August 26 when he was going to deposit money in a local bank.
Hussain has told media that there was a youth with a cow walking in front of him and the mob might have mistaken that it was his cow. He further said that he doesn’t have any cows, only two buffaloes. He had some sheep and goats, but he sold these about a fortnight ago for Rs 1.5 lakh and was on his way to the bank to deposit the money.
He has claimed that the mob has taken cash and cell phone before throwing him into a drain.
“I had walked about eight kilometres when I noticed a youth with a cow… I started walking faster to meet him, but some people suddenly came from behind the bushes and started beating me with sticks… I fell unconscious,’’ he told the Indian Express.
The police have taken cognisance of the incident of assault and FIR vide No 58/2017 under sections 341/307/ 323/147 RPC have been lodged at police station Budhal. During investigation, one alleged assailant was arrested and the search for others is on.
The spokesman claimed that as per preliminary investigation, “some local dispute could be the reason behind incident which is being investigated.”
This is the second attack by right-wing goons claiming to be Gau Rakshaks in a year on tribal people in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier this year in April, a tribal family of five people got injured, including a child, after they were attacked by such people who had levelled allegation of bovine smuggling against them.
State Human Right Commission had taken suo-moto cognizance of the attack and has termed it as a human rights violation.