buffalo'sFaridabad, Oct 14 (PTI) An auto-rickshaw driver and fourof his friends were allegedly thrashed by a group of cowvigilantes on the suspicion that they were carrying beef hereyesterday, the police said today.
However, it emerged during the initial investigation thatit was buffalo meat that the Azad, the auto-rickshaw driver,and his friends were transporting, they said.
The police have now registered a case based on thestatement of the auto-rickshaw driver and the meat has beensent to a forensic lab for further tests, officials said.
According to officials, the injured Azad has told themthat he and four of his friends were returning from FatehpurBillauch area to Old Faridabad yesterday with some buffalomeat. It was near village Bajri that that 15-20 youth askedthem to stop, they said.
According to the auto-driver, the youth thrashed them andthen called up the police. They handed Azad over to the policealleging that he was a cow-smuggler, officials said.
A police official said that based on the complaint of thegroup, a case was registered against the auto-driver under thelaws related to cow slaughter.
"In the initial investigation, it was found that it wasbuffalo meat and not beef that was being transported.
Therefore, a case under relevant sections was registered onthe complaint of Azad. Further action will be taken afterprobing the matter," SHO, Mujesar police station, Vinod Singh,said. PTI CORRADS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.