Monu Manesar, a self-proclaimed cow vigilante who was facing multiple charges, including murder and incitement of communal hatred, has been arrested by the Nuh Police in Gurugram. The arrest was made on Tuesday, and Manesar has been handed over to the Rajasthan Police.
Manesar, whose real name is Mohit Yadav, was accused of being involved in the murder of two Muslim men, Nasir and Junaid, in February. The victims were allegedly abducted from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district and later found dead in a burnt car in Haryana’s Bhiwani district.
Rajasthan Police had been investigating Manesar’s alleged role in the conspiracy behind the abductions and killings.
Furthermore, Monu Manesar faced charges related to inciting communal hatred in Haryana, particularly in Nuh district, where a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession was targeted by mobs on July 31, resulting in six deaths.
While some accused him of being a trigger for the violence, the FIR filed by Nuh Police was specifically related to a social media post he made. The post was allegedly aimed at creating disharmony between religious groups and used objectionable language. Local authorities had denied permission for a second yatra organized by the VHP, which was the subject of Manesar’s controversial social media message.
The Nuh Police arrested Manesar in Gurugram’s Manesar area and subsequently handed him over to Rajasthan Police following the acquisition of a transit remand from a court in Haryana’s Nuh. During the arrest, a pistol, three live bullets, and a mobile phone were seized from him. Authorities are currently verifying whether the pistol is licensed.
Inspector General of Police Rupinder Singh of Bharatpur stated that, upon receiving information about Manesar’s apprehension, a group from Deeg proceeded to Nuh on Tuesday.
“He was produced in the court by the Nuh police and Rajasthan Police also moved an application to seek his custody. The court granted his custody to Rajasthan Police and he is now being taken from Nuh to Deeg,” he told PTI.
Rajasthan Police had been investigating Manesar’s involvement in the conspiracy to abduct and kill the two men in February. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had assured full cooperation in apprehending Manesar, and a team from Rajasthan’s Deeg district was dispatched to Nuh following his arrest.
It is worth noting that earlier in the case, a video surfaced online allegedly featuring Monu Manesar. While Haryana’s Home Minister, Anil Vij, claimed that the video did not show any incitement to violence, Haryana Police had stated that Manesar’s role in the July 31 incident would be thoroughly investigated.
Anil Vij had said, “I have seen that video, nowhere is he instigating people to riot… he is asking people to join the yatra.”
