AGARTALA: Seven people, accused of slaughtering cows in the open, were arrested in two separate incidents across the state on Wednesday."Two youths from Mullapara in Agartala were arrested based on prima facie evidence, but were released on bail later," a senior police official said. The youths arrested here have been identified as Hossen Mian and Chotan Mian.At Sabroom, five brick kiln workers - Md Fajal Haque, Joynal Abedin, Suman Mian, Saiful Islam and Md Abdul Jalal - were arrested. "The five youths arrested at Rupaicherri in Sabroom have been charged under Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code (mischief by killing or maiming cattle). Cow carcasses were seized from a rubber estate nearby," the official added. Police have also launched an investigation against two right-wing activists accused of assaulting two Muslim labourers at the brick kiln in Sabroom."Cows were slaughtered on a day people were celebrating Diwali . It hurt religious sentiments and some people lodged a complaint," the official said.Demanding the release of those arrested, Mufti Tayebur Rahaman, president of the Tripura State Jamiat Ulema Hind, said, "The arrests were made without taking into account the ground reality ... Tripura does not have slaughter houses and there is no ban on beef in the state.""This is not about open slaughter, but about the killing of cows. Police do not take action against those who slaughter chickens, goats or pigs in the open by the roadside ... Every year, animals are sacrificed in temples, but no one responds to the violence of the act. It is only when it is cow slaughter that things get more complicated," he added.

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