‘Gau rakshaks’ turn cow racketeers in Haryana

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, August 21

The stray cow menace seems to be getting unmanageable with unscrupulous elements transporting cattle from other parts of the state and abandoning them in Hisar and adjoining areas.

Fed up with the cattle destroying their crop, villagers in Hisar and Bhiwani districts have been paying Rs 2,100 per cow to persons claiming to have the requisite papers to transport the bovines to gaushalas.

A letter purportedly released by the gram panchayat of Biran village, Bhiwani, dated July 5 reads that the panchayat had handed over 150 stray cows to the Gau Sewa Dham in Dhandoor village near Hisar. The letter serves as a sort of a document facilitating unimpeded transportation of cattle with vehicles carrying them not checked by the police.

When contacted, pradhan of the Sewa Dham Anil Kumar claimed that the gaushala had started functioning only a few days ago and had barely three or four cows. He denied having received 150 cows from Biran village, as claimed in the letter purportedly issued by the Biran gram panchayat. 

Sita Ram Singla, convener, Gau Sewa Helpline Samiti, Hisar, told The Tribune that he and other activists had caught a group of people releasing cows in the town’s old college ground and residential sectors last month. Sources claimed that unscrupulous elements, operating in groups, were charging Rs 2,100 per cow from villagers to transport them to nearby towns. “For transporting 100 cows, they earn about Rs 2.10 lakh. They are able to operate without rousing suspicion as they possess fake letterheads of gaushalas and gram panchayats,” a source explained. Biran village sarpanch Tara Chand admitted he had issued the letter but said he had no inkling if the persons who took away the cows were ‘genuine’ or not.

MODUS OPERANDI

• Unscrupulous elements operate in groups in villages
• Volunteer to transport stray cattle at Rs 2,100 per cow
• Carry fake letterheads of gaushalas for authenticity
• Seek letter from panchayat chief to transport cattle
• Simply abandon the cows in Hisar and adjoining areas

BR Mangla, Haryana Gau Sewa Aayog chief, said: If we get a complaint, will order filing of FIR. Hisar SP Shiv Charan said the police would act as per law against any such persons.