Cow vigilantes attacked a lorry carrying oxen for a film shoot in Telangana in the early hours of Tuesday, May 12. A police officer who arrived at the scene and coordinated the transport of the animals to a safe location was also attacked by the vigilantes.
A first information report (FIR) has been registered at the Saroornagar police station and nine persons have been booked in connection with the attack.
The complaint was registered by Rami Reddy, a 64-year-old farmer from Ranga Reddy, who along with Siddala Jangaiah, Siddala Ilaiah, and Budda Swami, arranged eight oxen for the shooting of actor Vijay Devarakonda’s upcoming film Ranabali. The lorry carrying the animals was driven by one MD Rafi.
The incident occurred at 1.45 am on May 12. Eight oxen were being transported from Koheda Village of Ranga Reddy District to Purana Haveli in the Old City Area of Hyderabad. A group of vigilantes arrived at the scene on motorcycles and intercepted the lorry, alleging that the oxen were being taken for slaughter. “When they informed them that they were transporting the oxen for a film shooting, the said persons accused them falsely of taking the oxen for slaughter, abused them in filthy language, and physically assaulted them with hands,” the FIR said. The FIR said that the mob also pelted stones at the men.
Rami Reddy and others then contacted the police, who arrived and attempted to dissipate the situation. The police coordinated the shifting of the animals to the GHMC Cattle Holding Point in Fathullaguda. The lorry was attacked once again, this time when police personnel were also present inside it. A police inspector sustained injuries to his ear in the attack.
Members of the vigilante mob named in the FIR include Metri Mallesh, Sidhu, Kuldeep Jaiswal, Belda Rahul, Kethavath Sanju, Jaman Jothi Sathish, Manchala Praveen, Puttapaga Sai Kumar, Akemapally Ganesh, and others.
The accused have been booked under sections 196(1) (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language); 126(2) (wrongful restrainment); 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means); 351(2) (criminal intimidation); 324(5) (mischief); 121(2) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from duty); and 191(3) (rioting) read with Section 190 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhitha (BNS).
