Cow vigilante Sonu Yadav shot by cattle smugglers in Haryana's Nuh
Nuh, Haryana, India 
14 June, 2024
Case Summary
In the early hours of June 15, near Mahu-Chopta village in Haryana’s Nuh district, a cow protector named Sonu Yadav, alias Sarpanch, was shot by cattle smugglers, leaving him in critical condition. The incident occurred while Sonu and six others were chasing a suspected cattle-smuggling vehicle on the Delhi-Mumbai expressway near Ferozepur Jhirka. Preliminary investigations suggest the suspects are from Rajasthan. A case has been registered under sections of the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, and section 307 (attempt to murder). The Nuh Superintendent of Police, Narendra Bijarnia, reported that the cow protection task force received a tip-off about cattle smugglers en route to Nuh. When the task force attempted to intercept the van, the suspects fired at them, injuring Sonu with a bullet to his stomach. The police managed to arrest one suspect and are questioning him for more information. The incident occurred around 4:45 am when the smugglers’ truck overturned, leading to a confrontation and gunfire. Cow protectors gathered outside Medanta hospital, demanding protection and suggesting licensed weapons for cow protectors.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The cow is considered sacred in the Hindu religion. Often, cows are slaughtered by non-Hindu perpetrators as a mark of insult to the Hindu faith. There have been several documented cases throughout history where cow slaughter is used as a method to insult the Hindu faith, convert Hindus (by force-feeding beef) and desecrate temples. Those who work towards the protection of the cow are also often attacked brutally by Muslim radicals. In all cases of cow slaughter and/or attack against those who work towards the protection of the cow, there is a suspicion of religious animosity against Hindus working as a motivating factor, however, in the absence of any concrete indication, this case is being categorized as 'undecided'. If more details emerge, it would be added to the hate crime database.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
