India's court seeks reply on plea to ban cow vigilantes

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) - India’s top court Friday asked the governments in the Center and six states as to why there should not be a ban on cow vigilante groups, amid growing anger over the practice in the majority Hindu state.

The move comes days after 55-year-old Muslim man was killed by cow vigilantes in northern city of Alwar in Rajasthan state.

Social activist Tehseen Poonawalla last year had filed a plea seeking ban on cow vigilante groups.

“There should be a ban on these groups as they were committing atrocities against minorities and Dalits (considered lower caste in India) in the name of protection of cows and other bovines. They needed to be regulated and banned in the interest of social harmony, public morality and law and order in the country,” he contended in his petition.

A Supreme Court bench of Justices Dipak Misra and AM Khanwilkar have sought replies within three weeks and fixed the case for further hearing on May 3.

Last Saturday, a mob attacked a group of Muslim traders, who were on their way to Haryana state after buying cows from Jaipur fair in Rajasthan state. The traders were beaten badly even after they produced documents to show they were transporting cows bought for milk.

One of the men, Pehlu Khan, died on Tuesday.

Immediately after the attack, local police registered a case of cow smuggling against Muslims traders. However, those who attacked them were let off.

But, the police registered cases against the attackers only after the death of Khan. Four persons have been arrested so far in the case.

Cow is considered sacred by majority Hindus in India and cow slaughter is illegal in many states of the country.