SRINAGAR: The cow vigilantes’ struck in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir by attacking a nomad family and injuring five people including a minor girl.
Police have registered an FIR against the attackers, who also took away the entire flock of cow, goat and sheep of the nomad family.
Sources said a group of cow vigilantes attacked a nomad family in Talwara area of Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday evening.
“The attackers beat the nomad family with iron rods and sticks. Five members of the nomad family including a 9-year-old girl Sami suffered injuries in the cow vigilantes attack,” they said.
They said the attackers took away the entire flock of cow, goat and sheep of the nomad family, which was moving with their livestock.
The girl has suffered multiple fractures and admitted to hospital.
It is the first attack of its kind in the State, where PDP and BJP is running a coalition government.
One of the victims Naseema Begam told media that the cow vigilantes beat them mercilessly.
“They did not spare even elders or minors. They wanted to kill us and throw our bodies into the river,” she said adding the attackers took away their entire flock including 16 cows, goats and sheep.
SSP Reasi Tahir Sajad Bhat told New Indian Express that police has registered an FIR No 67 under section 341/323 RPC in the case.
“We are recording the statement of the injured. After recording their statements, further action would be taken,” he said adding only two people were injured.
The SSP said there have been no arrests so far.
J&K BJP chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi said the party does not approve of people taking law into their own hands.
“If anybody has got any information about cow slaughter or smuggling of bovines, which is crime in J&K, they should report it to police and let the police take the action,” he said.
Sethi said it is not justified for people to take law in their own hand and start punishing the people. “We will like the people to follow the law from both sides.”
“If cow slaughter is banned in the State, the law should be honoured and there should be no smuggling of bovines. But if there is violation of law, it should be reported to the police and nobody should take law in its own hands,” he said.
Senior Gujjar leader and opposition National Conference MLA Mian Altaf condemned the assault of the nomad family by cow-vigilantes.
“This incident is not an isolated incident but is yet another inglorious chapter in PDP-BJP alliance’s politics of polarization and suppression. Nomads and other minorities in Jammu are being suppressed and targeted under a well thought out plan to persecute them into submission,” he said.