‘Gau rakshaks’ stab youth ferrying buffalo calves

AHMEDABAD: 23-year-old Zaheer Abdul Sheikh was brutally stabbed by so-called ‘cow vigilantes’ for transporting a truck carrying buffalo calves.

The incident took place in Ramol area at around 12:30 am on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday when four-five unidentified men introducing themselves as ‘gau rakshaks’ intercepted a truck carrying around 30 buffaloes calves.

Armed with sticks, the gau rakshaks asked them to stop. Sensing danger, 53-year-old Mustafa Sipai, the driver of the vehicle stopped the van near a police vehicle in the distance and managed to escape by running into the restaurant where few police personnel were having dinner.

While Zaheer ran the other way. But two people came on a motorcycle chased and stabbed him. The victim, was admitted at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital after sustaining a seveninch- deep stab wound. Zaheer has been operated upon and is reportedly out of danger.

A complaint was lodged against unknown persons under Section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the IPC. Himkar Singh, DCP of Zone-V said, “We have CCTV footage and have rounded up suspicious persons for identification.”

According to an agency report, Yogirajsinh Gohil, member of an outfit called Lok Rashak Dal, has lodged a counter-complaint against Zaheer and Mustafa for carrying animals without mandatory documents.