RAIPUR: Chikhli police and the Cyber Cell have arrested three absconding accused in connection with the alleged slaughter of cattle in Gaurinagar and the dumping of severed cow heads near Sheetla Talab and a under-construction railway underbridge in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh. The main accused, Ejaz Ahmed alias Kasai alias Vakil Ansari, was arrested in Nagpur, Maharashtra, while two women, Khairun Nisha (60) and Naseema Begum alias Rani (57), were apprehended from Gaurinagar.
According to police, the three accused were questioned and allegedly admitted to their involvement in the crime along with those arrested earlier. They were produced before a court and subsequently sent to judicial custody.
The arrests followed a sustained search operation by a joint team of Chikhli police and the Cyber Cell to trace the suspects who had been absconding since the incident came to light. Acting on specific information about the main accused’s whereabouts in Nagpur, the police team travelled to the city and arrested him. The two women were taken into custody from Gaurinagar for questioning.
14 accused arrested so far
Police said 10 accused and one minor girl were apprehended on October 17 and sent to judicial custody. Three more accused were arrested on October 18, followed by the latest arrests of the three absconding suspects. According to the report, the total number of accused arrested in the case has now reached 14.
A case has been registered under Sections 299, 325, 238 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Sections 4, 6 and 10 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-related law cited by police, and Section 25 of the Arms Act. Further investigation is underway to establish the roles of all those allegedly involved and determine the wider links, if any, behind the suspected illegal trade.
The operation was carried out with the involvement of Kotwali police station in-charge Upendra Shah, Somni police station in-charge Eman Sahu, Basantpur police station in-charge Kaushlendra Dewangan, outpost in-charge Sub-Inspector Kailash Chandra Marai and Sub-Inspector Sattulal Kanwar, along with personnel from Chikhli police and the Cyber Cell. Cyber Cell Inspector Vinay Pammar and other personnel also played a role in tracing the suspects.
Meanwhile, the municipal corporation reportedly removed an alleged illegal construction and encroachment associated with one of the accused on Sunday as part of a separate administrative action.
CCTV footage provided crucial leads
The case came to light after severed cow heads were found near the under-construction underbridge on October 12 and near Sheetla Talab in Gaurinagar on October 14. The discoveries triggered widespread anger among local residents and members of Hindu organisations, who gathered at the sites to protest the alleged crime.
Protesters later placed a severed cow head at Manav Mandir Chowk and staged a demonstration. They also blocked the main road outside Kotwali police station, disrupting traffic, while some demonstrators sat outside the police station and recited the Hanuman Chalisa to register their protest.
Gaurinagar councillor Hafiz Khan also approached Kotwali police station with a written complaint regarding the incident.
Taking note of the seriousness of the case, particularly as it occurred during the Navratri period, police constituted a special investigation team. Investigators examined CCTV footage from cameras installed around the locations where the remains were found.
According to the police account, the footage showed unidentified persons taking cattle found sitting along the roadside late at night. Acting on these leads, investigators detained Abdul Aleem alias Kanwa, a resident of Gaurinagar, along with his wife and daughter.
During questioning, Abdul Aleem allegedly confessed to involvement in the slaughter of cows, the sale of their meat and the disposal of severed heads near Sheetla Talab and the underbridge to conceal the crime. Police subsequently arrested several other alleged participants, including Salman Khan, Mohammad Sakir Khan, Moin Gauri, Arif Qureshi, Salim Akhtar, Syed Nadeem, Mohammad Siraj and Mohammad Tauheed Raza Khan.
Police said the investigation remains underway to identify the full extent of the alleged operation and verify the involvement of all suspects.
