Zaheer Qureshi, 22 — a resident of Mamadpura — who was travelling in a truck ferrying buffalo calves was stabbed by purported cow vigilantes near Rajendra Park in Ramol on Sunday morning.Deputy commissioner of police zone-5 Himkar Singh said Qureshi was a helper on the truck that was carrying 30 buffalo calves for slaughter from Deesa to Chapi in Bharuch district. The truck’s driver, identified only as Mustufa, managed to save himself by jumping into a police vehicle that happened to be passing by. Qureshi was stabbed in his chest.Ramol police has registered a case under section 326 of the Indian Penal Code — voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means. However, his relatives have demanded that a case of attempt to murder be registered against the attackers.Singh, who inspected the crime scene, said that if probe findings warrant the invoking of the attempt to murder charge, it will be done against the six accused.Assistant commissioner of police, I division, N L Desai, who is currently on leave, said that the victims had also violated rules. “Rules forbid the transportation of cattle in the night,” he said. “This case should not be categorised as lynching because a mob gathered on the road only after the incident had occurred. None from the mob was involved in attacking the accused.”According to the FIR lodged at the Ramol police station, Qureshi said when the truck was at Rajendra Park in Odhav at about 12.30am on Sunday, three to four people intercepted the truck. “The FIR says that the accused were shouting ‘We are gau rakshaks, stop the truck’. The accused apparently banged sticks on the truck,” a senior police official said. “The FIR says that Mustufa stopped the truck near a bhaji pav outlet and ran away. Qureshi also started running but was stopped by two assailants who were on a bike.” The official said that as one attacker held Qureshi, the other knifed him.“The accused fled as a police vehicle, which was on a routine patrol, drew near,” he said. “Qureshi fell unconscious and was taken to hospital.” DCP Singh said that police have collected CCTV footage and have identified the accused, who live in a colony near the crime scene. “We will soon round them up,” Singh said.: On the eve of Bakr-Eid in September 2016, Mohammed Ayyub Mev of Vatva was stopped near Anandnagar in Ahmedabad while he was travelling in a car from Mehsana. He was allegedly ferrying cow progeny. While his friend managed to run for his life, Mev was thrashed with iron pipes and baseball bats. He succumbed to the injuries in VS hospital. The case was transferred to the crime branch after lapses were found in the primary investigation carried out by the Anandnagar police. Eight accused were arrested in the case. All of them are out on bail.

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