'Cow smuggler' thrash by locals in Alwar critical

A man was beaten up on suspicion of smuggling cows in a village in Alwar district of Rajasthan.

Deputy SP of Alwar OP Meena said, five locals stopped one Salim Khan and his two accomplices and inquired about nine cows they were transporting through the village farmland on Tuesday night.

"After not receiving a satisfactory answer from the three men, the villagers then chased the suspected cow smugglers on motorcycles and got hold of one of them while two others managed to escape,” Meena added.

In return, Salim allegedly opened fire at the villagers who chased them. In the ensuing clash, two villagers and Salim Khan got injured. Khan has been admitted to the Alwar government hospital and is said to be critical. The two villagers who were injured in the firing are also hospitalised but are out of danger.

A police team headed by Jaipur range Inspector General of Police (IGP) S Sengathir and Alwar SP Deshmukh Anil Paris is patrolling in the area to maintain law and order.

Alwar police have recovered one country-made pistol from Salim Khan’s possession before he was hospitalised. The police have recorded the statements of the villagers who got injured, while Salim Khan, who is critical, was unable to give his statement.

The primary investigation done by Alwar police suggests that the three men were suspected cow smugglers from Bharatpur town, about 110 km from Alwar.

Ironically the incident took place a few hours after the Rajasthan government on Tuesday introduced 'The Rajasthan Protection from Lynching Bill-2019', which makes provisions for life term and Rs 5 lakh fine to the guilty.