The police officers said they are probing a connection between a departmental store robbery that occurred on the same night. Tension prevailed at Bhaon village under Bhadhokhar police station of Rae Bareli district on Sunday after residents allegedly recovered cow meat from a farm on Saturday. Police have arrested two persons and detained seven others for questioning.
Station House Officer (Bhadhokhar) Abhishek Srivastava said, “We received information on Saturday evening about cow meat found near a tubewell in the village. The meat has been recovered and sent to a laboratory for test.”
“Till now, two persons – Furqan (30) and Khalid (31) – have been arrested, while a third name has also come to light. We are searching for the third accused and he will be arrested soon,” the SHO said, adding that an FIR has been lodged against unidentified people under the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act and IPC section 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class).
“The accused have told us that it was done with an intention of creating mischief. The meat was recovered from the premises of Jal Nigam office, where there is also a tubewell. Locals have made a small temple in the premises, but the meat was not recovered from the temple. It was found in a nearby land,” said the SHO.
Additional police force has been deployed in the village as a precautionary measure. “We will add the names of the accused in the FIR in the coming days,” said Srivastava.