A forensic laboratory in Mathura has stated in its report that the meat for which four people were brutally assaulted by cow vigilantes in Aligarh last Saturday came from a buffalo.

“We have received the report of the laboratory that confirms that the sample of meat sent for testing came from a buffalo. Our seniors will decide the future course of action,” Aligarh police inspector Dheeraj Kumar told local reporters. “Efforts
are on to arrest the other accused persons.”

Buffalo meat is not banned in Uttar Pradesh, cow meat is.

The cow vigilantes had attacked and injured four meat transporters at Alahdadapur in Harduaganj, suspecting that they were transporting cow meat.

The police rescued Mohammad Arbaz, Mohammad Qadir and two persons
identified as Mohammad Aqueel. Three of them were admitted to the district hospital and later shifted to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital with serious injuries.

The police arrested Vijay Bajrangi, Vijay Gupta and Lavkush Bajrangi on Sunday.

Mohammad Munna, father of one of the Aqueels, said: “Besides the three people whom the police arrested on Sunday, I had named Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader and former Alahdadapur panchayat chief Arjun Singh Bholu, former panchayat chief of Shekhupur Girish Kumar, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders Ram Kumar Arya, Chetan Lodhi, Shivam Hindu, Ravindra Kumar, Anuj Bhura and Vijay Kumar Gupta and 20 unidentified attackers in my written complaint to the police. The police are protecting the leaders of the vigilante gang. The arrested trio belong to the Bajrang Dal.”

Aqueel told reporters at the hospital on Tuesday that they had documents to prove that they were transporting buffalo meat from the Al Ammar factory in Rorawar to a market in Aligarh.

“The attacker had demanded ₹50,000 from us and started beating us with iron rods when we refused. They kept beating us. The police came twice, saw us in a pool of blood and left. A cop punched me, too. Later, senior officers came and took us to the hospital, where some staff misbehaved with us and cursed us for killing cows,” said Aqueel.

“The police have also booked us for transporting (illegal) meat and creating law and order issues. We want them to withdraw the case against us,” he said.