A blurred video grab shows the cow vigilantes forcing the meat transporters to carry butchered animal parts on their heads.
Credit: Special Arrangement
The violent attack on seven meat transporters at Doddaballapur near Bengaluru on September 24 was an attempt to extort money, police say. Early on Sunday morning, nearly two dozen activists of the Hindutva outfit, Sri Rama Sene, intercepted five trucks and a car at TB Circle in Doddaballapur and dragged the seven occupants out. The vigilantes then forced the seven men to carry butchered animal parts on their heads and walk in a parade. While some of them took videos on their mobile phones, some others torched the car.
Police have booked 16 attackers under IPC sections related to extortion, unlawful assembly, and rioting, among others. Separately, they registered an FIR against the seven meat transporters under the stringent Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, which bans the slaughter of all cattle, except buffaloes.
Preliminary police investigations show that the attackers knew the meat transporters and were even aware of their routine.
Police said that one of the vigilantes, Devaraju, had extorted money a couple of times from the transporters. Police also suspect that he demanded money from the driver of a Bolero pickup that was the first vehicle to be intercepted. When the driver refused, Devaraju allegedly warned he wouldn’t let the vehicle pass, a senior police officer close to the investigation told DH.
“Devaraju knew about the meat transportation and spread the word in his circles,” the officer said, adding that they are still investigating the exact motive.
“Investigations are still underway and we are yet to gather some vey crucial evidence to conclude the case,” the officer said.
On Monday, police produced all the arrested men — 16 vigilantes and seven meat transporters — before a court in Doddaballapur. The court has remanded them to judicial custody for 14 days, according to the officer.
While the FIR alleges that the meat transporters carried 30 tonnes of beef in their vehicles, police confirmed to DH that the trucks had 18 tonnes of cow and buffalo meat.
Meat to Russell market
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an officer close to the case said the arrested meat transporters were regular visitors to the beef market near Russell Market in Shivajinagar.
“They used to bring the trucks loaded with beef to Shivajinagar where interested vendors bought them,” the officer said. “Looks like, these drivers visited Bengaluru every Sunday.”
Case against vigilantes
Police invoked IPC Sections 143 (unlawful assembly); 147 (rioting); 323 (voluntarily causing hurt); 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means); 341 (wrongful restraint); 384 (extortion); 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to amount of one hundred); 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object).
Cases against beef transporters
The transporters are booked under the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, and IPC sections 506 (criminal intimidation) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace).