In a horrifically disturbing incident that sent the people of Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district into shock and outrage, a man has been taken into custody for allegedly tying up a cow on an e-rickshaw and dragging it for kilometres, mutilating it in the process costing it an eye.
The inhumane act was exposed on Saturday when a resident of the area, Manoj Yadav, chanced upon the scene while driving. As per him, he noticed the cow being ruthlessly dragged on the road, strapped to an e-rickshaw rider who was identified later as Ikram Khan.
Yadav was distressed at what he saw and promptly cried out to stop the driver. Instead of stopping, Khan allegedly accelerated further, continuing to pull the already struggling animal. Being unwilling to look away, Yadav mounted his motorbike and followed the truck for almost two kilometres.
Soon, he overtook the e-rickshaw and was able to intercept Khan. What Yadav discovered was heartbreaking the cow was in visible pain, groaning in distress and struggling to stay standing. Not wasting a single moment, he loosened the animal and rushed it to a nearby cowshed where it received emergency medical care.
The police were shortly notified, and an FIR was lodged under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Police inspector Rewa’s Manisha Upadhyay assured that Ikram Khan has been arrested. Authorities are now investigating whether the accused was trying to take the cow to a slaughterhouse, a suspicion which has yet to be conclusively confirmed.
The news of the incident spread very quickly, evoking the ire of the local community as well as religious organizations. The act was vehemently condemned by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). In comments to the press, VHP member Balkrishna Dwivedi referred to the act as not only barbaric but also one aimed at triggering communal tension.
He alleged the suspect had a “Jihadi mindset“ and referred to the incident as “immensely unfortunate,” stating it was intended to disturb the peace and religious harmony in the region.
Before the cow is finished with treatment, animal rights groups and local leaders are pushing the administration to take more drastic action against such atrocities. The case has once again raised controversy surrounding animal protection laws, religious sensibilities, and the need for community vigilance in the face of inhumanity.
