[VIDEO] Villagers tie 25 cow smugglers with rope amid 'gau mata ki jai' chants in MP's Khandwa

Khandwa: In a shocking incident, more than 100 villagers tied 25 people with a rope in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district. In a video which has gone viral, stick-wielding villagers can be seen forcing the alleged cattle-transporters to do sit-ups holding their ears.

Afterwards, they took them to a police station.

The victims were purportedly transporting cows to Maharashtra. Cries of “gau mata ki jai” could be heard in the video.

The incident, which happened in Sanwalikheda village in Khalwas area, occurred on Sunday. The Madhya Pradesh Police have booked at least 16 people for allegedly ferrying the cattle under relevant sections of law.

They have also confiscated 21 vehicles in which the accused allegedly used to transport cows. Further probe in this matter is underway, said Superintendent of Police Shiv Dayal Singh.

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Singh also told PTI that a case has also been registered against the villagers for ill-treating those booked for unauthorised cattle transport.

“Villagers brought the group transporting cows to our police station. We seized 21 trucks used for the purpose. The cows have been shifted to a shelter. They were taking the cows from Harda district in MP to Maharashtra,” Inspector Harishanker Rawat of Khalwa police station said.

 

 

The incident comes a day ahead of the commencement of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly session. Notably, the Kamal Nath-led government is expected to table an amendment to the Madhya Pradesh Cow Progeny Slaughter Prevention Act 2004 to curb violence in the name of cow vigilantism.

On June 27, the Madhya Pradesh government had announced that anyone resorting to violence in the name of cow protection could face imprisonment for up to three years.

Law Minister PC Sharma had clearly stated: "The government is committed to protecting cows. But there is a particular section that neither protects cows not works for their wellbeing. It just violates laws in the name of cow protection."

In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked state governments to take strict action against cow vigilantes.

“Some anti-social elements have made cow protection a medium for spreading anarchy. People involved in disturbing harmony in the country are also taking advantage of it,” he had said while addressing an all-party meeting.

“Cow is treated as a mother and it is an emotive issue. But we have to understand that there are laws governing cow protection and breaking these is not an alternative,” the PM had said.