In yet another incidence of cow vigilantism, a 24-year-old Muslim man identified as Wasim Qureshi was allegedly thrown into a pond by Uttarakhand Police’s cattle protection squad. The police claim that he drowned while attempting to evade the arrest.
According to the reports, the incident occurred on Saturday night in Madhapur village in the Haridwar district. The family members of the deceased and residents accused the police of killing Wasim. However, the police denied the assertion and claimed that he drowned while attempting to evade arrest by a “cattle protection squad (CPS)”.
The Uttarakhand CPS is tasked with enforcing laws related to the protection of cows.
While giving details on the case, the police stated that a six-member police team was out on patrol based on intelligence reports about the illegal cow slaughter. When they tried to stop Wasim, who was on a scooter, instead of complying, he accelerated and jumped into a pond filled with weeds to escape capture.
Wasim’s body was fished out the following morning after the police had spent a night searching for him. The search process was however difficult due to darkness.
The circumstances surrounding Wasim’s death have sparked outrage among locals and his family, who accuse the police of foul play, claiming that he was thrown into the pond deliberately by the police squad.
Wasim’s family has reportedly filed a police complaint against the personnel allegedly involved in the incident. The case hasn’t been registered so far.
“When he was going home (on scooter), sub-inspector Sharad Singh, Constable Sunil Saini, Praveen Saini and three other policemen stopped him near a graveyard in Madhopur village and started beating him and threw him into the pond and did not allow him to come out despite his repeated attempts. He was continuously screaming Sufiyan, Sonu and others heard his voice and rushed to the spot to save him but policemen threatened to then to go away, or else they would be shot,” the family alleged in the complaint.
The family in the complaint also alleged that Wasim’s legs were tied when his body was fished out of the pond and he had severe injuries on his face. The police have fabricated a story that he was transporting cow meat to save their personnel, the complaint read adding, “If he was indeed transporting cow meat, where is the cow meat?”
Outrage over Wasim Quereshi’s death
Local MLA Virendra Jati has criticised the police for its action and demanded that a murder case be filed against the officers adding that Monu was tortured before his death.
President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Lok Sabha MP, Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Uttarakhand police and raised questions over the police version of the story. “If Wasim jumped into the pond after seeing the police. Then how did Wasim get injury marks on his face and body?” asked Owaisi.
“According to reports, in the name of cow smuggling, Uttarakhand police beat up Muslim youth Wasim and threw him in a pond and fabricated a false story that Wasim jumped into the pond after seeing the police. Then how did Wasim get injury marks on his face and body? The media has not even mentioned this. Those who can talk for hours about the women of Iran and the Hindus of Bangladesh are not concerned about Wasim. The policemen should be prosecuted for murder,” Owaisi said in a post on X.
Reacting to the news, senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai criticised the incident and said “Chullu bhar pani me doob marna’ can’t be the law”.
While taking to X, he wrote, “A story that caught the eye: After Assam, now a cow slaughter suspect ‘drowns in a pond’ in a bid to escape, claims Uttarakhand police. ‘Chullu bhar pani me doob marna’ can’t be the law! Cries for ‘instant justice’ can’t lead to alleged short-circuiting of the law by cops. That just isn’t the way a criminal justice system works in a civilized society.”
Police action
In response to the public outcry, the police stated they are investigating the accusations made by Wasim’s family and will take appropriate action if warranted.
However, three FIRs have been registered in connection with the case so far. These cases have been registered for allegedly smuggling cow meat, assaulting the police team, and sharing posts online that might disturb communal harmony, reported Maktoob Media.
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