Bhopal Youth Killed On Suspicion Of Cow Smuggling, Aide In Hospital; Three Assailants Arrested

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): One of the two youths brutally assaulted by a group of alleged cow vigilantes in Raisen on the night of June 5 died while undergoing treatment at Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal on Tuesday.

The victims’ families alleged that the two were intercepted and attacked by members of a right-wing group on suspicion of cow smuggling. Videos of the incident have surfaced on social media, showing the youths being beaten.

Police have registered an FIR against 15 unidentified persons, three of them have been arrested.

According to reports, a group ofpeople stopped a vehicle transporting cows near Megaon in Raisen district. The two men in the vehicle, identified as Junaid (26) and Armaan (25), were taken hostage and assaulted. Junaid succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday morning, while Armaan remains in critical condition at a private hospital.

Junaid, originally from Sironj, had been living in Jehangirabad area of Bhopal for several years. Armaan is a resident of Sheopur district. Their families claimed the two ran a dairy business in Jehangirabad and were returning home with six cows purchased from Dhanora.

Taj Quraishi, a relative of Junaid, alleged that members of a right-wing outfit intercepted the vehicle at Megaon. Junaid’s brother, Zaid, claimed the youths were held hostage near Raisen-Vidisha district border and tortured by people, including Chandan Yadav, Chandan Kushwaha and others. He also alleged that the assailants looted cash the youths were carrying.

Local residents reportedly informed the families, who later found the injured youths at the Vidisha District Hospital.

SP,Raisen Pankaj Pandey said an FIR was registered at the Sanchi police station on June 6. Three suspects — Dhruv Chaturvedi, Gagan Dubey and Rampal Rajput — all with prior criminal records, were arrested on June 9. Others are being identified from video footage.

Police also recovered cows from the vehicle and filed a separate FIR against Junaid and Armaan. Junaid had four prior cases registered against him, including for cattle smuggling, the SP said.