GURUGRAM: Amid allegations of high-handedness by cow vigilantes, the Nuh police in Haryana have revamped a team that was formed to check bovine smuggling, with “curbing vigilantism” the additional task assigned to the recast 10-member CIA unit.
On February 16, two men from Ghatmeeka village in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, Junaid (35) and Nasir (25), were allegedly abducted by cow vigilantes and their charred bodies were later recovered from a car at Loharu in Bhiwani. Before heading to Loharu, the accused had allegedly arrived at the Ferozpur Jhirka CIA office asking the policemen to arrest the duo.
The CIA team allegedly turned the accused away and was subsequently ridiculed as its intervention “could have saved the two lives”. Several cow vigilantes are on the run after the incident. Two separate inquires were marked against the CIA team by the Nuh and Rajasthan Police.
Even as the inquiries remain pending, Nuh SP Varun Singla has transferred Sub-Inspector Virender Singh, the incharge of the CIA team that was responsible to check crimes related to bovine smuggling. He has been shifted to the non-bailable warrant branch.
“The inquiries are pending at the end of the Rajasthan Police…. Taking cognisance of the controversy, prima facie we have taken this decision (transfer and revamp). The CIA team has the best intelligence network when it comes to bovine issues and to utilise it to maximum, we have given it 10 new members and two vehicles. It shall now be dedicated to dealing with crimes of bovine smuggling as well as vigilantism,” said the SP.
As per the plans, the team shall prepare a database of notorious smugglers and also vigilantes who were known to target vulnerable youth and families for alleged blackmail and social media likes. The team shall also identify and pin social media groups and YouTube accounts indulging in promotion of vigilantism.
“Cow vigilantes are either absconding or lying low as of now. But we are keeping tabs on their activities or meetings being planned in their support. We are scouting the social media and looking for leads for the absconding vigilantes. Similarly, we are working on a plan to curtail bovine smuggling flourishing in border villages,” said a member of new team.