The Nashik rural police have arrested six cow vigilantes for allegedly murdering Lukman Suleman Ansari on suspicion of transporting cattle for slaughter. These accused, Pradeep Adhole alias Pappu (34), Bhaskar Bhagat (28), Chetan Somawne (26), Vijay Bhagade (26), Rupesh Joshi (39) and Shekhar Gaikwad (22), were associated with Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, founded by hate offender Pravin Togadia. The accused have been remanded to police custody until June 17 and the police are in the process of recovering weapons from the accused, reported Indian Express.
Ansari, a resident of Padgha, Bhiwandi, was earlier reported to be missing. Ansari along with Pappu Atiq Paddi (36) and Aqueel Gulam Gavandi (25) bought two cows, a bullock and a calf for Rs 18,300 from a woman in Kharegaon, Shahpur. They were transporting the animals in a pick-up tempo to Padgha in Thane district, reported Indian Express.
As per the information, the police have till now, when Chetan Sonawane (associated with RBD) got to know that they will be transporting the cattle on June 8, he informed his other associates and some 15-20 people arrived and tried to extort money from Ansari and his two associates. When they refused, they were assaulted with bamboo sticks. Gavandi escaped and Ansari and Paddi were taken to another location and assaulted with iron rods. When Paddi regained consciousness he found Ansari missing. Paddi was then taken to the Igatpuri police station by the accused alleging that he was illegally transporting animals. The police took Paddi to the hospital and recorded his statement. When Paddi returned to his home in Padgha, he realised that Ansari was still missing and had not returned home like Gavandi had.
Thus, Paddi again approached Igatpuri police station on Jun 10, to lodge a missing person complaint for Ansari. On the same day police got information that a body was found in a 150-metre trench and later it was identified to be Ansari.
“After Ansari’s body was found, based on Paddi’s statement that they were assaulted with bamboo and iron rod and the preliminary postmortem report’s findings of ‘traumatic head injury’, we added sections of murder, criminal conspiracy and rioting in the case,” Inspector Raju Surve of Igatpuri police station told IE.
A case of illegal transportation and purchase of cow, bullock or bullock under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Animal Protection Act has also been registered against Paddi and Ansari.
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