Ghaziabad women taking pregnant cow home thrashed over smuggling suspicion

A woman and her mother, who said they were taking a pregnant stray cow home after residents requested them to look after it, were assaulted by a group on suspicion of cow smuggling.

In Short

• Incident happened on August 3 as women were taking stray cow home
• Video shows mother and daughter seated while a crowd watches assault
• Police register case after viral assault video, assure fair investigation

A mother and daughter were assaulted by a group of women on suspicion of cow smuggling while taking a pregnant stray cow home in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, prompting police to register an FIR after a video of the incident surfaced on social media.

The incident took place in Modinagar on August 3. A viral video of the incident shows three women sitting on the ground as a woman repeatedly slaps and confronts them while a crowd looks on. The two other unidentified women named in the FIR are not visible in the assault footage.

According to the FIR, Deepa and her mother, Suman, and a friend were taking the cow when they were stopped by Sapna Aggarwal and two unidentified persons. Deepa told police that the trio accused them of cow smuggling, abused them, repeatedly slapped them and threatened to kill them if they were seen in the area again. Both the mother and her daughter sustained injuries in the assault.

Deepa, while explaining the events that led to the incident, said the cow had been wandering in the locality for several days without anyone caring for it. As the animal was pregnant and could give birth at any time, local residents, aware that the family had been rearing cattle for years, asked them to take it home and look after it.

Based on a complaint filed by one of the victims, Deepa, police registered an FIR in the early hours of Tuesday under Sections 115(2), 352 and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Some of the women named in the case are being claimed to be associated with a Hindu organisation, though police have not officially confirmed the claim.

Police said they have taken cognisance of the viral video and are verifying its authenticity, reconstructing the sequence of events and identifying those seen in the footage. They said further legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.

Officials also said no individual would be allowed to take the law into their own hands and assured that the case would be investigated impartially, with action taken on the basis of evidence.

- Ends