Maharashtra: Cow vigilante attacked in Nanded, dies of injuries

Aurangabad: A 32-year-old gau-rakshak (cow vigilante) was killed in an attack in Maharashtra’s Nanded district after he and his friends sought to intercept a vehicle on suspicion that it was smuggling cattle, police said on Tuesday.

Local Hindu right-wing organizations called for a Bandh over the incident but later withdrew the call.

The incident took place near Shivni village in Kinwat tehsil around 11.30 pm on Monday, said superintendent of police Shrkrishna Kokate.

Seven men from Shivni and Chikhli villages were returning from a program in neighbouring Telangana in a car when they saw a vehicle and suspected that it was transporting cattle illegally, he told PTI.

When they tried to stop it, about 10-15 men from the vehicle allegedly attacked them with sticks and sharp weapons, the police official said.

Shekhar Rapeli died due to the injuries while four others who were with him were seriously injured and undergoing treatment at the Nanded government hospital, he said.

A case of murder and rioting was registered at Islapur police station and police were looking for the suspects, the SP said.

Some right-wing organizations in Nanded called for a Bandh on Wednesday over the incident but after police held a meeting with them, they agreed to give police time for probe and withdrew the call, he said.