Seeking arrest of ‘beef smugglers’, Gau Raksha Dal stages protest

Ludhiana, Just 23

The Gau Raksha Dal today held a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here, demanding the arrest of the accused wanted in a case related to beef smuggling.

Gau Raksha Dal chairman Mukesh Kumar, who led the protest, said the members also held a two-hour-long hunger strike. However, it was discontinued after a senior official from the Deputy Commissioner’s office assured them that they would direct the police to arrest the accused on priority.

Mukesh said he was working for the welfare of abandoned cows. On July 17, he received information on the sale of beef in the Sherpur fish market.

Following this, he, accompanied by some workers of the organisation, checked a shop, where beef had been kept.

Following his complaint, the police had registered a case against five persons, who were identified as Raja Khan, Lalu, Lucky Khan, Adnan Quraishi and Danish Khan, and 20 kg beef was seized from the shop owner. One of the accused, Raja, was nabbed by the police.

A case was registered under Sections 298 and 325 of the BNS and Sections 3 and 8 of the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955.

After the registration of the case, Mukesh was “wrongly” indicted in a fake case by the police for arguing with the shopkeeper during the raid.

“I want the cancellation of a fake case registered against me. The remaining four accused, who are absconding, should be arrested at the earliest,” said Kumar, chairman of the Gau Raksha Dal.