Gurugram: Citing attacks, vigilante groups ask members to arm themselves

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram, June 26

A day after suspected smugglers reportedly open fired at a cow vigilante at Bisaru village in Nuh, vigilante groups have issued a diktat to their members to apply for arms licence for their security.

The members have been asked to apply for licences in bulk and the groups have asked the state government to help them, citing increased attacks by cattle smugglers.

‘Need to protect our men’

The vigilante groups claim that the threat to ‘gau-rakshaks’ has increased. “We have issued an alert to all our members to be cautious and to procure arms licence for security. The police have assured us that they will nab the accused, but we need to have a strategy to protect our men,” says Shrikant Mewati, in charge of a cow vigilante group in Mewat.

Daya Ram (42), who was attacked, is a trader and actively involved with various cow vigilante groups. The police has registered a case under the Arms Act and launched a manhunt to nab the offenders who were travelling in a pick-up van at the time of

the crime.

“I had gone to a Shiva temple situated near my house in the morning. Just as I approached the gate, a pick-up van with five men accosted me. I ran inside a dharamshala after they started throwing stones at me. They then opened fire at me. Some rounds hit the main gate of the dharamshala. I had a narrow escape,” said Daya Ram.

“As of now, we can’t confirm if the assailants were cattle smugglers, and if the complainant was involved in any cow protection activity,” said a Nuh police spokesperson.

Post Nuh riots, after a period of thaw, smugglers and vigilantes have reportedly been clashing in Mewat again. A few days ago, following a Bollywood-style chase, a vigilante was shot at and injured by smugglers hailing from Rajasthan.

According to vigilante groups, they have succeeded in securing 90 licences since the Nuh riots, but need more.

“Attacks have increased. The cattle smugglers were lying low, but after the recent Lok Sabha elections, they are suddenly back in action, and this time with more might. Threat to ‘gau-rakshaks’ has increased. We have issued an alert to all our members to be cautious and to procure arms licence for security. The police have assured us that they will nab the accused, but we need to have a strategy to protect our men,” said Shrikant Mewati, in charge of a cow vigilante group in Mewat.