A 35-year-old man died in Odisha’s Balasore on Wednesday after he was assaulted, allegedly by a group of men who objected to the transportation of cattle in the van that the man was travelling in.
While police initially registered a case under the state’s Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act against the driver and owner of the van, without mentioning the assault, another case was later registered based on a complaint by the victim’s brother.
The assault took place at 5 am on Wednesday. Assailants allegedly thrashed the van’s driver and helper. Both were injured, but the helper, identified as Sk Makandar Mahammad, died while undergoing treatment at Balasore district hospital.
A purported video of the incident showed the assailants forcing the victim to chant religious slogans.
Following the incident, an FIR was registered based on the complaint of a sub-inspector at Balasore Sadar police station, naming the driver and owner of the van, but not mentioning the assault. The driver and owner were booked under various sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, the Orissa Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
As per the initial FIR, a pickup van loaded with cattle was allegedly driven from the Jayadeva Kasba side in a rash and negligent manner. The FIR claimed that the van lost balance and overturned on the roadside, and that by the time the complainant reached the spot, the driver of the van had already been moved to a hospital for treatment and that a cow was found at the site.
“The cow was seized and brought to the Maa Bharati Goshala, and the pickup vehicle [was brought] to the PS, and the complainant submitted a written report for taking legal action against the owner and driver of the pickup van…,” read the FIR.
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Based on the complaint of Sk Jitendar Mahammad, brother of the deceased, another FIR was lodged on Wednesday evening against five persons, alleging that they detained the van on the road and brutally assaulted his brother with deadly weapons. Though a police petrol vehicle reached the spot and moved his brother to the Balasore district headquarters hospital, he died while undergoing treatment, the complaint said. The accused has been booked under BNS section 103(2), which deals with punishment for murder committed by a mob.
Balasore Superintendent of Police Pratyush Diwakar told The Indian Express that all five accused named in the FIR have been detained during multiple raids on Wednesday night and are being questioned. He said that further investigation into the matter is ongoing.
A senior police officer said the accused are being questioned to ascertain if there were others also involved in the incident.
