RAIPUR: Two truckers from Uttar Pradesh were allegedly lynched by cow vigilantes near temple town Arang, in Chhattisgarh, in the early hours of Friday while transporting buffaloes. A third has survived with critical injuries. A 57-second video of the survivor, circulating on social media, gives a chilling account. As someone questions him about the incident, the survivor, who seems barely conscious in his hospital bed, answers in monosyllables—“yes” and “no”.
He says that 14-15 people attacked them, beat two of them to death and threw their bodies from the bridge onto the river bed.The survivor says he jumped off the bridge to save his life.
The body of one of those killed shows multiple fractures, with one foot split apart, say sources. While police didn’t reveal the names of the victims, sources said those killed were Chand Miyan (23), and Guddu Khan (35), and the injured person is Saddam Qureshi.
Sources said 15-20 vigilantes suspected them of smuggling cows and chased the Chhattisgarh-registered truck from Patewa on Mahasamund-Arang Road, around 70km from Raipur. They intercepted it on a bridge on the Mahanadi river and unleashed an attack. Raipur SSP Santosh Singh said an FIR has been registered.
“The truck was coming from Mahasamund to Raipur and was followed by some people. The deceased are residents of Saharanpur, UP, and the injured person has been admitted to hospital. He is not in a condition to give a statement right now but police are trying to record his version. We are scanning CCTV footage of the location. An FIR has been registered,” Raipur SSP Santosh Singh said.
The SSP told TOI that the post-mortem of one person was conducted in Raipur and of the other in Mahasamund. Both reports are awaited. Qureshi’s condition is said to be critical.
The attack took place between 2am and 3am, and police arrived within an hour of receiving information that three people were lying severely wounded on the Mahanadi river bed, on the border of Raipur and Mahasamund districts. Raipur ASP Kirtan Rathore told reporters that one person was found dead. The two injured men were taken to a community health centre where the second man died.
The ASP said they have requested a short post-mortem report as soon as possible to determine cause of death.