The Haryana Police on Monday arrested five cow vigilantes for kidnapping and attacking a truck driver and a conductor in Palwal last month, suspecting them of cow smuggling. The attack led to the conductor’s death.
On February 22, the accused abducted the two, assaulted them, and threw them into a canal in Gurugram’s Sohna, assuming both were dead. The conductor, Sandeep, was found dead in the canal on March 2, eight days later.
The truck driver, Balkishan, managed to escape and filed a police complaint. Following his report, police announced a ₹5,000 reward for information on the accused.
Sandeep, from Rajasthan’s Ganganagar, and Balkishan were transporting two dairy cattle from Rajasthan to Lucknow when they lost their way and encountered the accused, who were on motorcycles.
Haryana highways are a hotspot for cow vigilantes who chase cattle transporters, often leading to fatal violence. Several mob lynching cases in the region have overwhelmingly targeted Muslims and Dalits.
