MUMBAI: At least seven gau rakshaks were injured when a mob attacked them in Shrigonda in Maharashtra on Saturday. The area is tense, 20 persons have been arrested, with the gau rakshaks injured and hospitalised.

The cow vigilantes had intercepted a mini truck they claimed was transporting cows to the slaughter house. The cops intercepted the truck near Shingonda, with 12 cows taken into custody, and offences registered against the driver and the helper in the vehicle, both of the minority community.

According to the local leaders, the trouble arose when Shishankar Swami, a cow vigilante and ‘activist’ from Pune arrived at the police station and insisted on cases being registered against the two. The local cops reported asked them to wait while the senior officers arrived. It was at this point that a mob attacked Swami and the men with him. Seven gau rakshaks were injured. Attempt to murder cases have been filed against the 20 arrested.

Swami is a known activist of Akhil Bharat Krushi Gosewa Sangh, and has been active on this front.This is the first such incident where the cow vigilantes, who have carried out a series of attacks across the country, including several lynchings, have been attacked by a mob.

(Cover Photograph of cow vigilante Shivshankar Swami as carried by the Indian Express)