Seven arrested for killing cows in Delhi

NEW DELHI - Seven people were arrested from a south Delhi slum area Tuesday for killing cows, which is banned in the Indian capital. The police also recovered nearly three tonnes of beef from the arrested men.

The accused - Sazid, Sahzad, Mohammad Arfin, Mohammad Tayab, Zahid, Alam and Salauddin - were arrested from the R.K. Puram area.

Several incidents of illegal slaughtering of cattle in various parts of Delhi were reported. This morning, we got specific information regarding illegal slaughtering of cattle in the R.K. Puram area. We shared the information with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi government, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) H.G.S Dhaliwal.

A team was formed and a raid conducted at the jhuggi (slum) cluster in Indira Market of R.K. Puram and seven people were arrested. Chopped meat, nearly three tonnes, was also recovered from the hutments, Dhaliwal added.

The police registered a case under sections 295 (A) (hurting religious sentiments) of the Indian Penal Code and under the Delhi Agriculture Cattle Preservation Act, 1994.

Weapons used for catching and chopping animals such as choppers and knives were also recovered from them. Efforts are being made to arrest their accomplices, Dhaliwal said.

Earlier in the day, local residents and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists held a noisy protest on the arterial outer Ring Road due to which traffic came to a virtual standstill for some time.

The protesters kept the chopped heads of four bovines on the road and raised slogans against the killers. They also raised slogans against the Delhi government and Delhi Police, accusing them them of inaction.

Carcasses of cows have been found from places across Delhi in the past few months. We demand a white paper from the Delhi government on the issue. After our protest, the illegal slaughterhouse in this area was demolished. We demand demolition of all the illegal slaughter houses in Delhi, said VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal.

Former Delhi mayor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Aarti Mehra and municipal councillors Anil Sharma, Kalpana Gaud, Anil Gupta, Ajit Tokas also visited the spot.

Leader of the BJP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi Subhash Arya urged Lt. Governor Tejendra Khanna to invoke the National Security Act against the offenders.