Mirwaiz demands strict punishment for ‘cow vigilantes’ who assaulted Ramban man

Srinagar, Apr 15: Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday demanded strict punishment for the suspected cow vigilantes who allegedly chased and assaulted a man ferrying a cow and two calves in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district.

“The poison of cow vigilantism is now being spread to Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the death of young Tanveer Ahmad Chopan (25), a resident of Ramban district, brutally chased and assaulted while ferrying a milch cow and two calves on Sunday,” Mirwaiz said in a post on X.

He said the death of Chopan “is highly condemnable and unacceptable” and demanded that “those behind this incident should be given exemplary punishment to nip this evil in the bud”.

Mirwaiz Farooq warned that if the incident goes unpublished, it could have repercussions. “It can have repercussions for which those in authority will be responsible.” Tanveer Ahmad Chopan, a resident of Mundkhal Pogal in Ukhral tehsil, was travelling from Jammu towards his native village transporting a milch cow and two calves when he was confronted by unidentified cow vigilantes on April 12, locals claimed.

According to eyewitnesses, Chopan allegedly jumped into the nearby Bisleri Nallah (rivulet) while trying to save himself.

Authorities initiated a multi-agency search to locate the missing man, but have been unsuccessful so far, with the operation entering the fourth day.

A Special Investigative Team (SIT) has been constituted and four people have been arrested in connection with the case. (PTI)