A pickup van driver allegedly smuggling cows was shot dead in the early hours of Wednesday by another group of suspected bovine smugglers in Rajasthan's Deeg district, police said.
Credit: Reuters photo
Jaipur: An alleged cow smuggler was shot dead by another group suspected to be in the cow smuggling business in Rajasthan’s Deeg district in the early hours of Wednesday.
After a tip off, the police chased a pick-up van around 2:30 am early today, being driven by one Sandeep Prajapat, 20. The van had two cows in it. The police tried to stop the van but it fled, raising suspicion.
Meanwhile, another alleged cow smuggling group was loading their van with cows, a little farther away at Pichmur bus stand. When they saw Sandeep’s vehicle, they fired at him, ultimately killing him.
The accused, fled. The police have detained Sandeep’s accomplice, Naresh Kumar, 28. Sandeep was a farmer and the only son in his family. He lived in a village called Songaon. He had bought the pick-up van only a month back.
Rajesh Kumar Meena, SP, Deeg, told Deccan Herald that the police started chasing Sandeep’s van only after it received some information about suspected cow smuggling in Deeg’s Kumher area.
“But as the van didn’t stop at the police barricades and raced away, the police chased it. In the commotion, the other cow smugglers, who were loading their vehicle with cows, fired at both Sandeep’s van and the police van.
However, police personnel were, not injured. Those who fired have not been arrested yet. Investigations are ongoing to ascertain whether Sandeep was indeed a cow smuggler. The two cows have been rescued and taken to a shelter.”
However, after Sandeep’s death, his family members are accusing the police of an encounter. They say the police were responsible for Sandeep’s death, which the police have vehemently denied. The family says Sandeep was only transporting the cows, which were destroying their farms.
Songaon villagers say cows have been damaging and destroying their crops for the past few days. Sandeep and Naresh loaded the cows which belonged to two farmers Harchand and Vishnu and were transporting them to a far away spot. Villagers allege that cow vigilantes initially started chasing Sandeep’s van and informed the police.
Sandeep belonged to the Prajapat community. Many from this community are now demanding justice for Sandeep. Meena told the police that the area is not known for cow smuggling and such incidents are between far and few.