Four “gau rakshaks” thrashed Ilyas Shaikh on suspicion of carrying cow meat, arrested

Surat: For thrashing an elderly Muslim on suspicious of carrying cow meat, Surat police on Friday arrested four “gau rakshaks,” reports The Indian Express. As per reports, the driver, Ilyas Shaikh (62), a resident of Chhota Udepur, was driving a tempo carrier laden with cattle skin and bones at Pandesara in Surat on August 21. Some youths, who claimed to be “Cow Vigilantes or gau rakshaks” allegedly intercepted the vehicle and managed to gather a large crowd at the spot. They thrashed Ilyas and damaged the tempo carrier. Soon, police reached the spot and rescued Ilyas, who is being getting treated in the hospital with multiple fractures. They also checked the vehicle and found cattle remains, but no cow meat. Ilyas told the police he was transporting cattle bones and skin and also showed the documents to proved that he is having an authorised contract from the Surat Municipal Corporation to carry the cattle remains. Acting on the complaint filed by Shaik, Pandesara police with the help of CCTV recording arrested four ‘Cow Vigilantes,’ all natives of Uttar Pradesh. “A few others are still wanted and we will arrest them in coming days,” said ACP (F-Division) Mukesh Patel.