Some members of Bajrang Dal and Sri Ram Sene stoned a truck in Belagavi on Wednesday night.
They got information that three vans were coming from Goa carrying beef, and stood on Khanapur road to stop them at around midnight. One of them called the police. By the time the police arrived the youth had stopped one van. Another van crossed them, without stopping. This angered the youth who stoned it. They managed to stop it and forced the driver to open it, only to discover it was empty. The other van stopped earlier was also empty.
Police took the youth to the Udyam Bag police station and warned them against stoning or stopping any such vehicles.
MLAs Abhay Patil and Anil Benake rushed to the police station and argued with the police officers for having brought the youth to the station. Police should be thankful to the youth who are stopping vehicles illegally carrying beef, Mr. Benake said. Mr Patil alleged that the police had insulted the legislators by not speaking to them with respect.
They also asked the police not to book cases against the youth, saying they were ‘Gau Rakshaks’ (protectors of cows) and should not be troubled. Assistant Commissioner of Police and other officers assured them that cases would not be filed against anyone who was innocent.
Commissioner D.C. Rajappa told presspersons on Thursday that no arrests were made in the case. He appealed to the public to inform the police on any alleged violation of rules and urged the youth to not take the law into their hands.
If any individual or group has information on illegal transport of cattle they should directly inform the Commissioner (94808 00650) or Deputy Commissioner of Police (94808 00651), he said in a release.
