Bhopal: Cow-related incidents continue to grip Madhya Pradesh as the state wraps up its year-long celebrations for “Gauvansh Raksha Varsh” (bovine protection year) in March 2025. A viral video, which is now drawing sharp criticism, showed policemen parading two Muslim men accused of cow slaughter.
An officer was seen striking them with a pipe in broad daylight. The men, visibly terrified, were further forced to chant slogans to the tune: “Gaay hamari maata hai, police hamari baap hai (Cow is our mother, police is our father)”. They were so badly beaten that they struggled to walk properly. Hindutva outfits later garlanded the inspector and other policemen, offering them sweets for their actions, another video showed.
The video, purportedly from March 3 in Jaithal, a locality in Ghatiya village, Ujjain, surfaced after their arrest, raising fresh concerns over law enforcement’s role in cow-related vigilantism.
This is not an isolated case. On March 8, five men were arrested in Damoh for allegedly slaughtering a pregnant cow. They were paraded on their way to the court, and their “illegal” properties were demolished. They were arrested for allegedly slaughtering a pregnant cow.
Meanwhile, in another incident, two men, Ballu Pahade and Virendra Pahade, were caught with 75 kilograms of allegedly cow meat on January 31. However their arrest, on the same cow slaughter charges, saw little police action or media attention.
Speaking to The Wire, Ujjain Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma said he did not receive any such complaint of parading, and that it was inappropriate to treat any accused of any crime in such a manner.
He denied seeing the videos and refused to comment without reviewing it.
Human rights violation complaint
Meanwhile, lawyer and activist Advocate Deepak Bundele, has written to the State Human Rights Commission urging action against the responsible officers. In his letter, he wrote:
“The police procession of the accused violates fundamental judicial principles and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to dignity and privacy. Parading accused individuals in this manner disregards their dignity, privacy, and presumption of innocence. It also violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948.”
Strict action must be taken against the Ujjain Superintendent of Police, Ghattiya SHO, and the policemen seen in the video. This is necessary to uphold the rule of law and ensure that the UN human rights declaration is respected, which is in the interest of justice.”
Bundele was himself a victim of police excesses during the Covid pandemic when he was assaulted by a few cops who had later claimed that they thought Bundele was a Muslim.
Concerns of human rights violations were also raised in August 2024 when the Madhya Pradesh police paraded a large group of Muslim men in Chhatarpur, forcing them to chant, “Police hamara baap hai, apradh karna paap hai. (The police is our father, committing a crime is a sin). The men were accused of stone-pelting during protests.
Police deny video evidence
Ghatiya police station in-charge D.L. Dasoria confirmed that an FIR had been registered and that two accused, Salim alias Mithiya and Aqib alias Aqqu, were arrested. He stated that Aqib had four criminal cases, while Mithiya had 24 cases related to animal cruelty across different police stations. Another accused, yet to be arrested, has five cases against him.
Dasoria added that more suspects will be arrested once they are found.
He told the media that on February 16, an informant tipped off the police about a suspicious Bolero near Jaithal Tank Warehouse, where a cow and a calf were allegedly tied for slaughter. The accused fled when the police arrived but were later traced and arrested.
A case has been registered under Sections 4, 6, and 9 of the Cow Slaughter Prohibition Act and Section 11 (d) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
In the viral video, Dasoria himself can be seen in the purported video questioning the two accused in the market. He asks why the police have brought them there, to which one of the accused replies, “Because we deal in cows and oxen.”
When Dasoria presses further, the accused hesitantly say they will not continue the business anymore, chanting, “Gaay hamari maata hai, police hamari baap hai.” When asked why they are being paraded, they similarly respond, “Because we do cow business.”
The questioning continues until they admit taking in cows for slaughter.
Despite the video circulating online, Dasoria denied any claims of parading the accused.
On being insisted, he said, “I have no information about any viral video. They have slaughtered numerous cows. The people of the village had blocked the road. Kuch nahin karaya. Public bol rahi thi. Unse kuch nahin bola hum logon ne. Parade-varade kuch nahin lagwayi. Konsi parade? Humne koi parade nahin lagwayi (We didn’t do anything with the accused. The public was saying it. We didn’t say anything. We didn’t make them parade. Which parade? We didn’t make them parade).”
He maintained his stance despite being told that this statement would go on record.
‘Deliberately targeting Muslims’
Advocate Deepak Bundele, speaking to The Wire, says, “The men are accused as an FIR is registered, but only the court can decide their guilt and impose punishment. We have the rule of law, not a monarchy where the police can beat or humiliate anyone. They might be innocent. What if the court later acquits them? The police are deliberately targeting Muslims. Similar incidents occurred in Damoh, where the homes of those accused of cow slaughter were demolished.
“This is not an isolated case. Right-wing forces and cow vigilantes operate under government protection. This isn’t just an attack on Muslims—two tribal men were lynched in Seoni two years ago inside their homes over similar allegations. Madhya Pradesh is witnessing a new form of terrorism in the name of cow protection,” he adds.
In June 2024, officials demolished eleven Muslim homes in Bhainswahi, Mandla, claiming they were involved in the illegal beef trade and had 150 cows and beef. The action taken a day before Bakrid left families homeless. In another case in June, authorities in Jaora, Ratlam, demolished the homes of four Muslim men accused of throwing cow remains in a temple.
“Gaushalas (cow shelters) in Madhya Pradesh are nothing but corruption centers. The government claims to run gaushalas, but all the stray cattle still roam the streets. Then what is their purpose? These so-called cow protectors sell cows to Miyan bhai (Muslims) for money. They also allow truck transportation for a price. Indeed, Muslims don’t traditionally keep cows. Then where do they get them from? Hindus raise cows and sell them,” Bundele alleges.
In July 2024, the Madhya Pradesh government redirected funds meant for SC/ST welfare toward cow protection, as reported by Hindustan Times. Of the Rs 252 crore allocated under the Gau Samvardhan and Pashu Samvardhan schemes, Rs 95.76 crore came from the SC/ST sub-plan, marking a significant increase from the previous year’s Rs 90 crore.
Huneza Khan is an independent journalist based in Bhopal.
