Hyderabad: While the state police higher ups have assured full protection and security to cattle traders before Bakrid in the city to conduct their business peacefully, complaints from traders about organized gangs and corrupt policemen extorting them unabated in the run up to the festival.
A few weeks before Bakrid, cattle markets are set up at Jalpally, Pahadishareef, Rajendranagar, Chanchalguda, Falaknuma, Barkas, Tolichowki, Khilwat, Petlaburj, Langer Houz, Bandlaguda, Jahanuma playground, Mallepally, and Yakutpura.
“I set up a makeshift shop to sell sheep on a footpath at Chanchalguda road on Sunday. After a few minutes, a group of people came to the place and demanded Rs. 5000 for setting up at the place. Now that I had already set up the place, I agreed to pay up,” said Rahman Khan, a businessman from Hyderabad.
He said that all the businessmen at Chanchalguda are forced to pay the money to ‘some’ people. Another businessman, Mohd Shukhoor, who set up his own shop at Barkas road, had a similar experience. “Some private persons along with a police car driver are allegedly collecting between Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 5000 from each cattle traders,” he alleged.
“The policeman is coming in the vehicle and using the name of the SHO demanding money from all the people. We do business during the festival season to earn some money, if such unsocial elements harass and extort hard earned money we will be left with nothing,” said the trader at Barkas. He did not however specify who the private persons were.
Similarly, complaints are also pouring in from Pahadishareef, and Jalpally where some miscreants are reportedly collecting money from traders. Amjedullah Khan, spokesperson of Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT), said that during Bakrid, rowdy elements and the patrol car constables harass traders and extort money from them on some or the other pretext. “The harassment of the rowdies is more than that of the gau rakshaks,” he said.
