ALWAR: 35-year-old Umar Khan was shot dead by some “gau rakshaks” on Friday and later on November 12, his thrown body was found on the railway tracks.
Umar’s father Sahabuddin Mohammad could not fathom out the reason behind why his son targeted, reported News 18.
“Umar never had any cows. His children needed milk for the winters and we had also told him that milk is necessary. He borrowed close to Rs 15,000 from the villagers and took loans from the market to buy cows. We never eat cow meat as it’s the only animal which gives our children the strength they need,” said the old man who can hardly sit straight on a bamboo cot.”
Umar along with Tahir Khan and Javed Khan with whom he had purchased cows in Alwar was stopped by some “gau rakshaks” (cow vigilantes) and attacked with firearms.
Umar died of a bullet wound on the spot, while another suffered bullet injuries has been admitted to a Haryana hospital.
Shaukat Khan, Sarpanch of Ghatmeeka village refuses to believe that Umar’s involvement in “cattle smuggling”.
“I have been the Sarpanch for the past thirty years and each and every house here has cows. Cows are used only for milk and nothing else,” Khan was quoted as saying to News 18.
Khan has also alleged cow trade racket being carried on by some goons in the name of Gau Rakshaks and the “police works in cahoots with such gangs”.
“These people are just dressed as Gau Rakshaks, but in reality they are nothing but goons. Each cow costs nothing less than Rs 12,000 and these Gau Rakshaks attack and kills those who are transporting the cows and then take these animals to another buyer who would pay anything above Rs 20,000. There has been several such incidents when Gau Rakshaks have even stopped empty trucks and robbed the driver,” said the Sarpanch.
There are about 400 huts in Ghatmika village in Bharatpur district and mostly belong to Mewati Muslims who were engaged in dairy farming.
Umar belonging to the Meo community was survived by wife and 8 children. Umar’s wife, who is expecting her ninth child, is surviving on injections.
His family members refuse a post mortem until the demand of immediate arrest of the accused and compensation of Rs 50 lakh and a government job for Umar’s kin met.
It is shocking that the Rajasthan Police registered a case of cow smuggling against the victims.
Two cow vigilantes named Ramveer Gurjar and Bhagwan Gurjar have been arrested in the Alwar lynching case, and four of the accused have been identified.
The ghastly incident came months after the lynching of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan by suspected cow vigilantes in Alwar, has triggered an outrage.
Alwar Killing: Umar went to buy cows to get milk for his kids
