Mistake? Nomads get beaten up for being cattle smugglers

Tribune News Service

Jammu/Reasi, April 22

Two persons, including a woman and an elderly man, were injured in a clash between a mob and a group of nomads over the suspicion of bovine smuggling in Talwara area of Reasi district late last night.

The police claimed it was a case of “mistaken identity” and “misunderstanding” after locals intercepted and clashed with nomads heading towards upper reaches, considering them to be cattle smugglers.

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“A woman and an old man received fractures. We can’t say it was a “gau rakshak dal” (cow vigilante group). Some locals were told that cow smuggling was taking place. They gathered in Talwara and some miscreants attacked the nomads,” said Reasi SSP Tahir Sajjad Bhat. 

“We have registered an FIR and will arrest them soon,” the SSP said. He said they had also registered another case following a complaint that some people raised anti-national slogans there.

“We are yet to verify whether slogans were raised and by whom,” he said. No child was attacked, as claimed by some news channels, he said.

The injured have been identified as Sabr Ali (60) and Naseem Begum (40) of Gunn Sandi village.

Reasi DC Ravinder Kumar said meetings were held between members of the two communities. “There was no cow vigilante group involved. We rushed CRPF and police and the matter was sorted out peacefully,” he claimed.

A large number of nomads travel to the upper reaches with their cattle, sheep and horses as summers set in.

No vigilante involved: Reasi SSP

We can’t say it was a ‘gau rakshak dal’. Some locals were told that cow smuggling was taking place in the area. They gathered in Talwara and some miscreants attacked the group of nomads. — Tahir Sajjad Bhat, REASI SSP