Three members of the right-wing Bajrang Dal slaughtered cows and placed carcasses near a police station, UP police said on Thursday, February 1. The Bajrang Dal member and a Muslim man have been arrested in the case.
Police revealed that the accused also made videos of the carcasses near the police station and uploaded them on social media. They tagged district magistrate and other government officials, and held a protest near the police station, seeking action against the SHO, for not preventing the cow slaughter.
The incident took place near Chhajalat police staion in UP’s Moradabad district. The accused have been identified Bajrang Dal leaders Sumit Bishnoi alias Monu, Raman Chaudhary, Rajiv Chaudhary. Another arrested accused was identified as Shahabuddin.
Police investigation revealed the Bajrang Dal men, in order to have SHO (Station Head officer) Satendra Sharma removed from the Chhajalat police station, committed the act.
According to local reports, on January 16, the carcass of a cow was found near Samadpur village of Chhajalat police station. On the night on Janaury 28, another cow carcass was found in the forest of Chetrampur village, which is also nearby the police station.
Surprising revelation
Investigations first led to the arrest of one Shahabuddin, a resident of Chetrempur village. Shahabuddin revealed that he was given money by the Bajrang Dal district chief Monu to place the head of the cow on the Kanwar Path.
Kanwar Path is used by Hindu pilgrims during the Shravana month to go to religious sites such as Haridwar.
Monu along with his friends, Raman Choudhary and Rajeev Choudhary, gave a sum of Rs 2000 to Shahabuddin.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, February 1, Moradabad’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) Hemraj Meena said that the both carcass were found in areas nearby the Chhajalat police station, indicating a hidden agenda behind the slaughter.
“Both the incidents seemed suspicious and interconnected. Since the manner in which this information was given to the police, there as suspicion that this incident was planned and it was not just a case of cow slaughter. there was definitely some hidden agenda in it,” he said.
“When the investigating team reached the spot, they found a photo of a man named Maqsud, which had been deliberately left at the spot. When police reached him, Maqsud revealed that the Bajrang Dal trio was hostile towards the SHO Satendra Sharma. Bajrang Dal leader Monu, a habitual offender, was arrested by the SHO and sent to jail for attempt of murder,” the SSP said.
After coming out of jail, Monu wanted the SHO to “dance to his tunes”, which the officer refused.
To get the SHO out of his way, Monu hatched a conspiracy. He also ensured the carcasses were found on the religious route to cause a communal disturbance and in turn hold the SHO responsible.
“These same people stole a cow from a house, slaughtered it, and then informed the police,” SSP told reporters.
Moradabad police have registered two FIRs under IPC sections 120B (Criminal Conspiracy), 211 (False charge of offence made with intent to injure), 380 (Theft in dwelling house), 457 (house-trespass or house-breaking) and 411 (Dishonestly receiving stolen property) and section 3,5,8 of Cow Slaughter Act.
