Doddaballapura (K’taka): Sri Ram Sena activists stopped 7 vehicles illegally carrying 30 tons of beef.

Karnataka: Tension at Doddaballapura as Sri Ram Sena members seize vehicles alleging them of smuggling beef.

Members of Sri Rama Sene, a pro-Hindutva outfit, also set fire to one of the vehicles coming from Hindupur. Police arrested 20 members from the spot. 

B Upendran | HENB | Bengaluru | Sept 24, 2023::  Seven goods vehicles carrying 30 tons of cow meat were intercepted during an operation by Hindutva activists in Karnataka.

Tension prevailed at Doddaballapura town near Bengaluru for some time after members of Sri Ram Sena, a pro-Hindutva outfit, seized seven vehicles alleging that they were smuggling beef and later set fire to one of the vehicles on Sunday, September 24, morning. It is reported that the vehicles were carrying 30 tons of beef

The members of Hindutva outfit intercepted the vehicles coming from Hindupura to Bengaluru at the toll gate. They then set fire to one of the vehicles when the occupants of the vehicle tried to attack the protestors.

Sources said the Vehicles were blocked in the IB circle of Doddaballapur, Bengaluru Rural district. It has also been alleged that there was an attempt to attack the activists of Sri Ram Sena after blocking the vehicles. Activists have expressed their outrage by setting fire to a car in retaliation for the attempted attack. After getting to know about the matter, the Police, along with the fire brigade and emergency personnel, rushed to the spot and doused the fire.

Around 30 tons of beef was being transported to Bangalore illegally via Doddaballapur via Hindupur Yalahanka State Highway.

The police of Bangalore rural and Doddaballapur city police stations visited the place and arrested more than 20 persons in the case of setting the car on fire and illegal beef transportation. There was outrage over the detention of activists. However, the Police brought the situation under control.

At first, a Bolero pickup was intercepted by alleged Sri Rama Sene activists around 5.30 am. The group beat up the driver and learnt from him that five more vehicles were on the way, according to the police. In the next 10 minutes, the vigilantes called for reinforcements and blocked all other vehicles, police said.

The vigilantes, who numbered 16, forced the seven transporters to carry the butchered upper parts of the animals on their heads, while they raised Hindutva slogans and took videos. Meanwhile, some of the vigilantes set fire to a Tata Indigo car that belonged to the transporters.

Mallikarjun Baladandi, Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru District, said they rushed to the spot after receiving information from a passerby.

“We reached there before things could get worse. We detained 16 miscreants and all the transporters. Based on the statements, we registered a complaint against the activists of Sri Ram Sene and arrested them,” he stated.

Police also resorted to a mild lathi-charge to disperse a crowd that had gathered there.  Baladandi noted that at 8.45 am, a counter-complaint was filed by Pavan Swamy, president of the Sri Rama Sene, Doddaballapur, alleging that while they were following the trucks carrying beef, the transporters tried to run them over. He claimed that “at least 30 tons of beef” was being transported by the six vehicles.

‘One vehicle got escaped’, said a Sri Ram Sena activist.

“Following Swamy’s complaint, we booked the seven men and arrested them,” Baladandi said.

CCTV of IB circle and Gunjur toll of Doddaballapur city is being checked and the police are gathering every inch of information about the incident. The police have seized the phones of the activists and are interrogating them.

A tense atmosphere has been created in Doddaballapur city and a large number of policemen have been deployed. SP, ASP, DySP and Inspector have been stationed at the spot.

The arrested Hindutva activists included  S Ramesh, Pavan Swamy, K C Prashanth, Devaraju, Kumar, Vijaykumar, Devaraju C, Manoj Kumar, R Rajesh, Manju Nayak, Ramesh, Jagadish, B Puneeth, Ajith N — all from Doddaballapur — Sundaresh Nargal from Vidyaranyapura and B V Nagaraj from Nagasandra. All are aged between 20 and 55 years.

They have been booked under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony).

The suspects arrested under the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act are Zakir, S Kaleem Basha, Mahboob Pasha, Imran and Ajaz — all from Hindupur, Andhra Pradesh; Alijama, and Yasin, both from Gauribidanur.

Though cow slaughter and beef trading are prohibited in Karnataka under the law in force, a section of Muslim people are trying to run it under a ‘beef jihad’ mentality in the state.

(Updated on 25.09.2023)

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__Inputs from The Hindu and Deccan Herald.