MP Gau Rakshak Attack: Cops Arrest Both Accused and Victims

Self-proclaimed cow vigilantes allegedly thrashed three people, including a woman.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Md Asif)

Suspected cow vigilantes allegedly thrashed three persons in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni, accusing them of carrying beef, following which five accused have been arrested, police said Saturday, 25 May.

The group of five gau rakshaks also allegedly forced one of the victims to beat up a woman accompanying them with chappals, a police officer said.

A viral video shows the accused holding the victims to a tree one by one and thrashing them, while the people looked on. The victims said that they were forced to shout 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans.

The incident took place on 22 May on Mandla Raod under Dunda Seoni police station limits.

Dunda Seoni Police Station in-charge Ganpat Uikey told the media that Shubham Baghel, a habitual offender, Yogesh Uikey, Deepesh Namdev, Rohit Yadav and Shyam Dehriya have been arrested for the assault. The five have been booked under IPC Sections 143, 148, 149, 341, 294, 323 and 506 and also Section 25 of the Arms Act.

Dunda Seoni police station in-charge GS Uike said the three persons who were beaten up did not sustain any serious injuries in the attack.

Victims Sent to Judicial Custody for Allegedly Carrying Red Meat

The victims were booked under the Madhya Pradesh Govansh Vadh Pratishedh Adhiniyam and were produced before a local court on 23 May, which sent them to judicial custody. The cow vigilantes had informed police that they were allegedly carrying 150 kg of red meat in an auto rickshaw and a two-wheeler from Khairi village.

The police have seized the meat, the three-wheeler and the scooter.

Seoni SP Lalit Shakyawar said the meat has been sent to a laboratory for testing and the situation was under control.

Ganpat told the media that after the video surfaced, a relative of one of the three persons filed an FIR. He said the vigilantes informed the police after roughing up and beating the victims.

He added that one of the accused, Shubham Baghel, belongs to an organisation called Shriram Sena. He had been externed last year.

Meanwhile, the court of judicial magistrate in Seoni remanded the five suspected cow vigilantes in judicial remand on Saturday.

‘Welcome to New India’: Owaisi

As the video went viral, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted saying, "This is how Muslims are treated by vigilantes created by Modi voters."

In another tweet, he responded to PM Modi’s recently revamped slogan, “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas,” saying that in five years, all he (Modi) “managed to add was two more words” to the slogan.

“Vishwas (trust) is only possible when you start living up to your oath and believe the Constitution,” he tweeted.

Speaking to reporters, Owaisi said,

“I think ever since the BJP came to power, the mob lynching gang has become a ‘Bhasmasur’ (a mythological character known for trying to destroy his creator) and one day they will sink along with the BJP, and this is definitely going to happen.”

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi

"The Madhya Pradesh incident, of which a video is out. They (attackers) all voted for Modi. They all are 100 percent Modi voters. See the photos on their social media page. They are openly saying that they are BJP and Modi voters," he added.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah also tweeted, quoting a poem by Mir Taqi Mir, “It’s only the beginning of love, why do you cry? Wait and see what happens next.”

The All India Mahila Congress also tweeted, "This is how cow vigilantes are celebrating Vijayi Bharat in Seoni, MP. Muslim man being beaten on suspect of carrying beef and then his wife is thrashed to say Jai Shree Ram. Extremely sad."

(With inputs from India Today and PTI.)