Pune (Maharashtra) [India], March 8 : An 18-year-old Muslim youth has alleged that he was assaulted and forced to eat cow dung by a group of self-proclaimed cow vigilantes in Pune earlier this week.
According to the victim, the incident occurred while he was working as a helper on a truck transporting buffalo from Karad in Maharashtra, around 120 km from Pune, to Mumbai.
He claimed that despite carrying all legal documents related to the transport of cattle, a group of people intercepted the truck in Pune near Khed Shivapur and accused them of illegal cattle transportation.
He alleged that members of the group, led by a transgender individual, along with another person, assaulted him, verbally abused him and allegedly forced him to eat cow dung while also compelling him to chant "Jai Shri Ram".
He further alleged that he was slapped and hit on the face during the incident.
Following the incident, the matter was taken to the Ambegaon Police Station under the Pune City Police Commissionerate. Based on the complaint, the police registered a Non-Cognisable (NC) report.
However, the victim has expressed dissatisfaction with the action taken so far and has demanded that a First Information Report (FIR) be registered and strict action be taken against the accused.
Meanwhile, a video of the alleged incident has gone viral on social media.
AIMIM senior leader and National Spokesperson Waris Pathan also shared the video on the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) and criticised the incident.
In his post, Pathan wrote that "Hindutva goons are forcing a Muslim youth to eat cow dung, beating him and abusing him. Have they completely lost fear of the law? Has the government given them a free hand?"
He further demanded that the Maharashtra Chief Minister and the Director General of Police take immediate action against those involved.
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