Gurgaon, August 30
Scores of trucks carrying cattle were set ablaze in Gurgaon and Rewari on Friday by ‘animal rights activists’, who claimed that these were being taken for slaughter.
“The Gurgaon police has identified 20 persons who set these trucks afire and registered an FIR against them,” said DCP Rahul Sharma.
While Pataudi residents set ablaze 15 trucks, villagers in Dharuhera torched at least 35 vehicles, including public buses, a police Gypsy, and a police post. The villagers were angry over the murder of a local youth, allegedly by cattle smugglers, some days ago.
The trucks passing through Pataudi were hired by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to transport cattle to Mathura and were accompanied by UT Police officials. These trucks were first stopped in Jhajjar but were allowed to go after some local activists checked permits and a letter from the Chandigarh MC.
In Dharuhera, “animal rights activists” torched over 30 vehicles. A Tribune photograph |
A rumour, however, travelled to Pataudi about these trucks belonging to cattle smugglers. Enraged villagers blocked the highway and waited for these trucks. Pataudi SDM Manoj Khatri and SP Usha Kundu tried to reason with them, but to no avail. The trucks were seized and set on fire.
“The incident is an outcome of rumour-mongering. We are trying to find out why this route was chosen by the truck drivers,” said the DCP. The Gurgaon police also blamed the Chandigarh Administration for the chaos. “We would have handled the situation better had they (Chandigarh officials) informed us about the route plan. We would have advised them against taking this route owing to the volatile atmosphere in the area,” said the DCP.
In Dharuhera, “animal rights activists” torched over 30 vehicles after they allegedly seized a “truck carrying meat” on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. The local police reached the spot but could not stop the mob which went on rampage, disrupting traffic on the busy highway. The protesters also set afire a nearby police post along with a police vehicle parked inside.
Simmering anger
- While Pataudi residents set ablaze 15 trucks, villagers in Dharuhera torched at least 35 vehicles, including buses and a police post
- The villagers were angry over murder of a local youth, allegedly by cattle smugglers, some days ago
‘Mob was out to kill us’
The angry mob was out to kill us. Some of our staff members are still missing and we don’t know where they are
— A Chandigarh MC employee
