49-year-old Abdul Rahman was on his way transporting an oxen when he was intercepted by cow vigilantes who assaulted him and left him on the road in Kantvara Cross of Beluvai village in Karnataka’s Moodbidri taluk on Friday.
Speaking to The Observer Post, Abdul Rahman, who has been working as a pick-up driver for the past forty years of his life, shared the horrifying account of the attack. Kusappa Poojary of Bira, Moodbidri, was the owner of the oxen. He was transporting it from his acquaintance’s house in Bajagoli, Karkala, to Moodbidri in the Abdul Rahman of Sangabettu vehicle.
Koosa Pujari also met a similar fate as he accompanied Abdul Rahman. “We were transporting his oxen, which he planned to nurture and care for. They stopped my vehicle and forced us out, accusing us of ‘illegal transport’. We were given no time to show them that we have permission to transport this.”
A mob of nine members was already waiting for him to arrive, he alleged. Accusing them of transporting the oxen that would be slaughtered for consumption, they repeatedly thrashed both men in broad daylight and left them to bleed on the road. Detailing his ordeal, he recounted that the passersby stood and watched him and his companion being thrashed, but no one came for their rescue.
“They attacked us with the lathis they had in their hands and damaged my vehicle I had bought with my hard-earned money. No one came to rescue us from the mob; they all just stood by and watched as we were mercilessly beaten,” he said in a distressed tone.
Abdul also alleged that he was threatened by members of Bajrang Dal a few days ago, who asked him to stop his transportation business. He confirmed that he knows the accused and that they are from his village. “Everyone in my village knows they are from Bajrang Dal, they couldn’t attack me there, so they attacked me when I came out of the village.”
Hoping for the authorities to compensate for his loss and punish those involved in the attack, he said, “What happened to us is nothing but sheer injustice. I hope that the police act swiftly in arresting and punishing them so that crimes like these do not repeat.”
He now bears a loss of more than ₹50,000. “Who will compensate for my loss?” he questions. Abdur Rahman also alleged that a few days ago, he was threatened by these members.
The Observer Post accessed a video recorded by one of the locals. The video shows the mob damaging the vehicle with sticks, breaking its windows while the passersby stop their vehicles and watch in shock.
As both lay there helpless, severely injured, someone alerted the Moodbidri police, who arrived and took them to the hospital. The accused managed to escape before the police’s arrival and took Abdul’s phone.
Abdul has suffered a fracture in his finger bone and has a serious injury on his right hand and around the eye, while Pujari remains admitted in another hospital and needs to undergo head surgery, say doctors.
Before this attack, on the same day, Bajrang Dal activists allegedly stopped another vehicle near Suralpady mosque, which comes under the jurisdiction of Bajpe police station. With the police’s quick intervention, 20 heads of cattle were rescued and the matter was resolved.
In connection with the case, Mangaluru police led by Inspector Sandesh P.G have apprehended two Bajrang Dal members, Sudheer Shetty and Dhanraj, on charges of assault and damaging the vehicle. An FIR was registered by Koosappa on the charges of attempted murder. In his complaint, he stated that he rears cattle on his farm in Karinje village of Bantwal taluk.
Similar incidents keep making headlines. On Saturday, the Mangalore police arrested an individual in connection with an assault on a person transporting beef near the Kadri temple area on March 10.
Meanwhile, the Police are investigating the matter to arrest the other perpetrators involved in the attack.
