Badly beaten by cow vigilantes in UP, charged for carrying certified meat
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Lucknow: No respite for the people who are legally in the business of dealing with meat from assault by cow vigilantes as a group of people are caught on camera beating a Muslim man for transporting and selling meat after a gap in Uttar Pradesh.
The COVID mishandling has made the Yogi government in defensive mode as uncounted deaths, and floating bodies in rivers caught the international eyes but the vicious communal frenzy is seen still intact amid this pandemic time.
Mohammed Shakir, who was carrying meat, was beaten with canes by a group of six people who identified themselves as 'gau rakshak (cow vigilante)', while other people were watching around in western Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district.
The UP police have registered an FIR against the assaulters on the basis of a complaint by the victim's brother but the most ridiculous part is that a counter case has also been charged against the victim, invoking various IPC sections related to 'mischief by killing an animal', 'committing an act likely to spread infection', and 'violation of Covid lockdown guidelines'.
Police said that Shakir was arrested and let him go but the assaulters are still at large. The police are claimed to have been in the search of people involved in the assault. Meanwhile the main accused, Manoj Thakur, is seen in a video filmed from an undisclosed place that is being circuited among journalists, challenging Police action against him.
In the complaint, Shakir's brother pointed out that Manoj Thakur and his associates approached his brother and demanded Rs 50,000 for allowing him to go with the 50 kg of buffalo meat on a scooter. Shakir was also warned against moving to Police with a complaint.
Shakir, who had a receipt from a factory for buying meat, is seen being charged with a cane while others surrounded him until he falls to the ground in the visuals that are being widely circulated since then. Shakir was also seen pleading with the assaulters to be released.
Samajwadi Party MP ST Hasan demanded action against the attackers.
