Jalna, Oct 8 (PTI) A group of men allegedly assaulted seven persons transporting cattle after accusing them of taking the bovine animals for slaughter in Maharashtra’s Jalna district, police said on Wednesday.
The Tehsil police on Tuesday registered a case against 10 to 20 unidentified persons in connection with the attack.
According to the 62-year-old complainant, Nisar Patel, his employer Padam Rajput purchased 21 bulls from a weekly market in Phulambri tehsil of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and the cattle were being taken to Latur district.
When the vehicles carrying the animals reached Londewadi village in Jalna tehsil, a group of persons intercepted them, accusing the transporters of taking the cattle for slaughter, the complainant said.
Despite being told that the animals were meant for agricultural purposes and the transporters had valid purchase documents, the group allegedly beat them mercilessly with sticks and logs.
Police later reached the spot and rescued the injured men and seized the cattle, which were moved to a cow shelter. However, according to the complaint, the same group even attacked the victims at the cow shelter in the presence of police.
A local social worker claimed that police initially detained the victims and booked them under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Police later registered a case against unidentified persons, she said. Complainant Patel also alleged that the police detained them for nearly 12 hours.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Anant Kulkarni rejected the allegation that the victims were beaten by the accused in police presence.
“There was some dispute between the victims and unidentified persons, and we are investigating the matter,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Jalna unit of the Federation of Maharashtra Muslims condemned the incident and demanded that the real assailants be booked. PTI COR NR
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