2 ‘cattle smugglers’ injured in clash outside police post

Two alleged cattle smugglers from Nuh district sustained injuries in a clash with a group of youths outside the Beri police post here in the early hours of Sunday. The injured have been admitted to the PGIMS, Rohtak, where their condition is stated to be stable.

The police have filed two FIRs and arrested 10 individuals, including the injured.

The incident triggered a protest by activists from various social organisations in Jhajjar city, who demanded the immediate release of the youths, describing them as "gau rakshaks." The protesters gathered at the Mini Secretariat campus, raising slogans against the police. They also called for the cancellation of the FIR against eight youths.

The first FIR was lodged on the complaint of Sunil Yadav of Rewari against two residents of Nuh, identified as Kayam and Taarif of Hussainpur village under various Sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015.

Yadav claimed that he had received a tip-off about cattle being smuggled in a container from Bhiwani to Nuh. He informed his friends, who were stationed at the Bamla toll plaza.

“When the container approached, we attempted to stop it, but the driver sped away, forcing us to chase it. The container eventually stopped outside the Beri police post in Jhajjar district.... Two youths disembarked and manhandled my friends when they tried to apprehend them, and upon checking the container, cattle were found inside,” Yadav alleged in the complaint.

The second FIR was filed by Exemptee ASI Amrit posted at the police post, who named eight youths in the complaint. They have been booked under various Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Amrit said he was present at Beri when the container stopped outside the police post. “Two youths exited the container and attempted to run towards the police station, but a group of 7-8 youths, one of whom was armed with a wooden stick, attacked them. Hearing the commotion, police officials came out from the post and apprehended the youths. The duo suffered injuries during the attack,” he claimed in the complaint.

Jhajjar DCP Logesh Kumar confirmed that FIRs had been registered against both parties and the cattle had been recovered from the container. “The cattle smugglers suffered injuries during the confrontation. All 10 persons named in the FIRs have been arrested. Investigation is underway,” he added.