Moodabidri Police in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka have arrested two Bajrang Dal activists and are on the lookout for five more for allegedly assaulting two people who were transporting a cow.
Koosappa Poojary, a farmer from Karinje village, had hired Abdul Rahman of neighbouring Sangabettu to transport his cow for breeding on Friday, March 28. When they were at Beluvai at around 4 pm, nine Bajrang Dal activists waylaid them and assaulted them.
Bystanders took the two injured men to the Community Health Centre in Moodabidri for treatment. Koosappa was later taken to a private hospital and Abdul Rahman was taken to a hospital in Mangaluru.
Koosappa’s wife Sugandhi told TNM that he had documents from the veterinary doctor. She said that he had to undergo a surgery due to the blows on his face around his mouth. “He can’t talk right now. We can only give him liquids, no solid food yet,” she said.
Koosappa filed a complaint with the Moodabidri Police Station regarding the assault by the Bajrang Dal, Inspector Sandesh told TNM.
According to the complaint, the attackers abused them with expletives and demanded to know where the cow was being taken for slaughter. The Bajrang Dal activists attacked Koosappa and Abdul with logs and sickles on the head and all over the body. They also damaged the vehicle being used to transport the cow.
Koosappa has named Sudheer Shetty and Dhanraj of Mangaluru in his complaint. Sandesh said that two people were arrested and that they are on the lookout for five more attackers.
The case has been registered under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 191(2), 191(3) (rioting), 126(2) (wrongful restrain), 324(4) (mischief), 352 (provoke the breach of peace), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 190 (unlawful assembly) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.