BHUBANESWAR: A cattle trader and two others were mercilessly assaulted by a group of 10 to 15 suspected cow vigilantes in Puri district’s Pipili in the wee hours of Saturday.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the cattle trader, MD Azhar, a resident of Jayapur Sasan village, had purchased the cow from a man residing about 1-2 km from his house. Azhar, who is in his 60s, was travelling with the seller and the mini-truck driver when they were stopped by the alleged cow vigilantes.
Azhar’s family members said he sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city. His son-in-law said Azhar was a cattle trader who purchased cows and sold them to dairy farmers and had no involvement in any illegal activity.
The incident occurred around 4 am near Kanthapur under Pipili police limits. Police said the three were intercepted while transporting a cow in a mini-truck and attacked by the group which suspected they were involved in cow smuggling.
The attackers allegedly suspected the trio of being cattle smugglers and brutally assaulted them. Police sources said the attackers were not residents of Kanthapur and may have been following the trio from a distance before intercepting them.
Local residents alerted the police after the assault, following which a PCR vehicle reached the spot and rescued the injured trio. They were initially admitted to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and later referred to separate hospitals.
Azhar’s elder son later lodged a complaint at Pipili police station. Azhar used to purchase cows and sell them to dairy farmers. “A case was registered and an investigation launched into the matter. Efforts are on to identify and nab the accused involved in the crime,” Puri SP Prateek Singh said.