Cattle theft accused seeks action against vigilantes for assault

Mangaluru: Mahammad Hanif, who has been accused of cattle theft and violating Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, has sought justice and stringent action against cattle vigilantes who have assaulted him recently.
Hanif, 34, was booked under IPC Section 370 for cattle theft and for cruelty to animals by Urwa police on June 14. Acting on a tip-off from Bajrang Dal activists, Urwa police intercepted a pick-up van at Kottara Cross and arrested Hanif in this connection. Police had rescued four she-buffaloes and seized the vehicle used to transport the cattle.
Meanwhile, police also booked another case against six persons for assaulting Hanif, giving him life threat and tying him to the vehicle. Preetham Shetty, Bhavith Shetty, Shrinivas, Jayaprashanth, Ashith and Sachin are those arrested in connection with the case.
Hanif, a resident of Jokatte, told reporters here on Friday that he was transporting the cattle with documents, but failed to show them to police as he was, by then, assaulted by the vigilantes. “I had bought 10 she-buffaloes from Ranebennur by obtaining required documents from a government veterinarian. However, I was waylaid by a group of 10-15 men who verbally abused me and also assaulted me brutally. They not only robbed Rs 7,800 from my pocket, but also assaulted again by tying me to the vehicle. However, police has not booked them under law,” Hanif said.
Police had booked the six accused under Section 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 427 (causing damage) and 149 (unlawful assembly in prosecution of the common object) of the IPC.