Four People Beaten Up Over Allegations of Cow Smuggling in Madhya Pradesh

After a video of the incident went viral on social media, police registered separate cases against the assailants as well as the alleged cow smugglers.

Men load a cow onto a truck in the Jantar Mantar area of New Delhi (Representational image). Credit: Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

After a video of the incident went viral on social media, police registered separate cases against the assailants as well as the alleged cow smugglers.

Men load a cow onto a truck in the Jantar Mantar area of New Delhi (Representational image). Credit: Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Men load a cow onto a truck in the Jantar Mantar area of New Delhi (Representational image). Credit: Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Betul: Four persons were allegedly thrashed by a vigilante group on the suspicion of being cow smugglers in a remote tribal village in Betul district, with the video of the incident going viral on social media.

The alleged cow smugglers were arrested but the assailants absconded, police said.

After a video of the incident, which reportedly took place last week, went viral on social media, police registered separate cases against the assailants as well as the alleged cow smugglers.

The video showed the four youths tied up and being beaten brutally in front of a crowd at the village, about 110 km from Betul district headquarters.

Sub divisional officer of police Prem Singh Thakur said yesterday that, “A case was registered against Shyam, Manak, Sundar Parate and others (part of the cow vigilante group) for assault.”

All of them have absconded.

Also another case was registered against the four persons, all residents of Rehatgao in neighbouring Harda district, for alleged cow smuggling, he said.

“These cow smugglers have been arrested. We are investigating the video clip, and will take further action accordingly,” the police officer said.

(PTI)