Protesters clashed with the police in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district on Saturday as demonstrators blocked a national highway in the Kosi Kalan area in protest against the death of a cow vigilante who was hit by a truck, The Hindu reported.
The protesters alleged that Chandrashekhar, a cow vigilante and a religious leader in the Braj region who was popularly known as “Farsa Wale Baba”, had died in a “deliberate act” carried out by cattle smugglers.
The Mathura Police, however, rejected the allegations.
In a statement, the police said that Chandrashekhar had stopped a vehicle in the Kosi police station area between 3 am and 4 am, claiming that it was transporting cattle, The Hindu reported.
“…He was tragically killed when struck by a truck coming from behind due to dense fog,” the newspaper quoted the statement as saying.
The police added that the vehicle that Chandrashekhar had stopped was “found to contain grocery items and the truck coming from behind was loaded with wires”.
It said: “This is a road accident – it has nothing to do with cow smuggling.”
However, the tensions led to clashes between the protesters and the police.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Shailesh Pandey said that some of the protesters threw stones at the police officers, India Today reported. Tear gas shells were fired to force the crowd to disperse, and the situation was brought under control, he added.
“Those involved are being identified, some arrests have been made,” India Today quoted Pandey as saying.
Responding to the situation, Chief Minister Adityanath directed officials to ensure strict action against the perpetrators, The Hindu reported. He added that “the accused will not be spared under any circumstances”.
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