In connection with a mob attack on a truck driver and conductor over suspicion of cow smuggling in Palwal district, Haryana Police arrested five out of 11 accused, informed by Haryana Police on March 4 (Tuesday). The suspects, hailing from Gurugram, used lathis, swords, and hammers, leaving the victims with severe injuries, including multiple fractures and stab wounds. A week-long search operation culminated in the discovery of Sandeep’s body, a resident of Ganganagar in Rajasthan, approximately 15 kilometres from where it was dumped by the perpetrators.
Background of the incident
On February 22, a pickup truck transporting two dairy cattle from Rajasthan to Lucknow lost its way in Palwal, Haryana. The vehicle was intercepted by a group of cow vigilantes riding motorcycles, who suspected the occupants of cow smuggling. The vigilantes brutally assaulted the driver, Balkishan, and his helper, Sandeep, using lathis, swords, and hammers, causing multiple fractures and stab injuries. After the assault, they threw the duo into a canal in Gurugram’s Sohna, assuming both were dead. However, Balkishan managed to swim to safety and lodged a police complaint, leading to the arrest of five suspects.
Investigation and arrests
The police identified 11 accused in the case, with five arrested so far. The accused include Pankaj, Nikhil, and Devraj from Palwal, and Pawan and Naresh from Gurugram and Nuh, respectively. During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime and admitted to killing Sandeep. The body of Sandeep was recovered from the canal on March 2, eight days after the incident. The police investigation revealed that the victims were legally transporting dairy cattle, but the vigilantes acted on mere suspicion.
Accused associated with “Gau Rakha Dal” Haryana
According to the police, the accused, who were associated with a cow protection group (Gau Raksha Dal, Haryana), attacked the both using lathis, swords, and hammers, resulting in multiple fractures and stab injuries. A week-long search operation led to the discovery of Sandeep’s body, a resident of Ganganagar in Rajasthan.
Palwal’s Deputy Superintendent of Police, Crime, Manoj Verma stated that the victims were transporting two dairy cattle in a pickup truck from Rajasthan to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. On the night of February 22, they became lost and encountered the accused, who were riding motorcycles.
He said that “Truck driver Balkishan swam to safety but helper Sandeep’s body was fished out from the canal on Sunday,” as per a report in the Hindustan Times.
Victim’s dead boy recovered from canal
Thereafter, the members of the alleged cow protection group allegedly kidnapped the two on suspicion of cow smuggling, assaulted them and threw them into a canal in Gurugram’s Sohna. After being brutally assaulted by the gang, one of them died. The accused threw the two into a canal, assuming both were dead, but driver Balkishan managed to swim to safety and lodged a police complaint, as per a report in the The Hindu.
However, following Balkishan’s complaint, police announced a reward of 5,000 rupees to anyone who knows about the whereabouts of the accused.
The growing horror of self-vigilantism: cow vigilantes on the rise in Haryana
Lynching of migrant worker in Charkhi Dadri
The rise of self-styled cow vigilantes in Haryana has sparked a disturbing wave of violence, with incidents of lynching and extortion becoming more frequent. On August 27, 2024, a 26-year-old Sabir Malik, a migrant worker from West Bengal, was brutally lynched by a group of cow vigilantes over the suspicion that he had consumed beef. The attack occurred at a village bus stand in Charkhi Dadri, where Sabir was dragged away by the accused after being lured with a false promise of scrap to dispose of. Another migrant, Aseeruddin from Assam, was also attacked and hospitalised.
Increased tensions and rising fear
Sabir, a scrap dealer, was left dead near a canal in Bhandwa village, while Aseeruddin was dumped elsewhere. The brutal act was committed by individuals also linked to the ‘Gau Raksha Dal,’ a self-declared cow protection group. Following the murder, eight suspects were arrested, but the violence left a community shattered. Sabir’s tragic death leaves behind a grieving wife and a two-year-old daughter, raising questions about the growing dangers faced by migrant workers in Haryana.
19-yr-old shot dead by cow vigilantes after 30-km car chase in Haryana
Similarly, on August 24, 2024, a Class 12th student, identified as Aryan Mishra was shot dead in Haryana’s Faridabad after being suspicious of a cattle smuggler. The Victim, Aryan Mishra was chased for around 30 kilometres by a five-member group of “Gau Raksha Dal” before being killed him. All of the accused were subsequently arrested by the Faridabad Police.
Aryan was killed because cow vigilante assumed he was Muslim
It was reported that Aryan Mishra was killed by the group because they believed Aryan was a Muslim, his mother has expressed sorrow and confusion. Aryan’s mother Uma Mishra while reacting on the question of the reason behind Aryan’s killing, she said “The accused mistook him as a Muslim and killed him. Why? Aren’t Muslims human?
Aryan’s mother further questioned that “Why do you need to kill Muslims?”
However, the recent surge in cow vigilante violence in Haryana, exemplified by the brutal killing of truck conductor Sandeep and other incidents, raises serious concerns over the unchecked power of self-declared “gau rakshaks” (cow protectors). The involvement of these vigilantes with groups like Gau Raksha Dal has led to widespread fear, especially among migrant workers, minorities, and those perceived as outsiders. Disturbingly, many of the accused in these cases are suspected to have close links with local law enforcement, which raises questions about the accountability and effectiveness of the authorities.
As seen in the Palwal case, vigilantes freely engage in violent acts based on mere suspicion, often without facing immediate consequences. The fact that some accused individuals are linked to law enforcement and cow protection groups highlights the complicity and leniency that may exist within these institutions.
Related:
Haryana Horror: Migrant worker lynched and teenager fatally shot amid rising violence
Mob Lynching in 2020: Misleading Exception than a Norm
Remembering 15-Year-Old Junaid A Year After He Was Lynched