Several states in India have a number of laws regulating the act of cow slaughter. For representation
Reuters file photo
A man suspected of being involved in illegal cow slaughter drowned in a pond near Uttarakhand's Roorkee after he jumped into it while trying to run away from the police, an official said.
However, local villagers alleged that the man was beaten up and pushed into the pond by the police.
The incident happened in Madhopur area near Roorkee late on Saturday night, Haridwar's Senior Superintendent of Police Pramendra Dobhal said on Monday.
The Cattle Protection Squad (CPS) of the local police was patrolling in Madhopur area after receiving information that some people in the village were involved in cow slaughter.
The CPS saw a man coming on a scooty. As it tried to stop him, the man named Wasim alias Monu left his scooty and ran away. While trying to escape, he jumped into the pond, the SSP said.
A search was launched but he could not be found as it was dark.
The body of Wasim was recovered from the pond on Sunday morning.
A crowd of locals gathered at the spot and clashed with the CPS in protest refusing to hand over the body to the police for a post mortem.
The crowd alleged that the man was beaten up and pushed into the pond by the police.
The police had to finally chase away the crowd to take the body into custody for autopsy. Wasim's body was handed over to his family after autopsy, the SSP said.
On the basis of a complaint lodged by the CPS, a case was lodged against one Alauddin and 100-150 other unidentified persons under sections 190, 191(2), 189(5), 132, 115(2), 352, 351(3), 238, 126(2) and 121(1) of the BNS and section 5/11 of the Cattle Protection Act for rioting and preventing public servants from performing their official duty, the SSP said.
A case has also been registered against four others for spreading rumour on social media with the intention to disrupt peace by giving the incident a communal colour, he said.
There is peace in the area, the SSP said, but warned of stern action against anyone who tries to disrupt peace.