Cow vigilantes attack van transporting oxen for film shoot, inspector among five injured

Hyderabad: A police inspector and four others were injured at Chaitanyapuri after ‘gau rakshaks’ pelted stones at a cargo van transporting oxen for the shooting of a Vijay Deverakonda film in the Old City during the early hours of Tuesday. Saroornagar police arrested nine assailants, and they were sent to judicial remand.

The incident occurred at around 1.45 am on Tuesday, when a DCM van carrying eight oxen was stopped by a group at Kothapet X Roads. “The oxen belong to four farmers from Koheda, and they were taking them to Purani Haveli for the shooting of actor Vijay Deverakonda’s film ‘Ranabaali’, but the mob suspected they were meant for slaughter,” Saroornagar inspector N Srishylam said.

According to police, the group wrongfully restrained the driver and the farmers and abused and assaulted them. Alerted by locals, night-duty police officials immediately reached the spot and directed the van driver to take the vehicle to a goshala at Fathullaguda for safe custody.

However, when the vehicle reached near Chaitanyapuri U-turn, some members of the group followed it on two-wheelers, overtook it and stopped it on the road. They pelted stones at the van and the police party, injuring LB Nagar detective inspector B Nagarjuna Reddy. “The inspector suffered a head injury due to stone pelting. The four farmers and the driver also suffered minor injuries in the assault,” the inspector said.

Police took some of the accused into custody and brought the situation under control. On the complaint of one of the farmers, a case was registered under the relevant sections of the BNS. “We have arrested nine accused, all residents of Chaitanyapuri, Saroornagar, Nagole and surrounding areas. They have been remanded to judicial custody. We are trying to identify and arrest the others involved,” the inspector said.