Srinagar, Apr 15 — Hurriyat chairman and chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday demanded strict punishment for those accused in the alleged assault of a man ferrying cattle in Ramban district, calling the incident “highly condemnable and unacceptable.”
In a post on X, Mirwaiz said the “poison of cow vigilantism” had reached Jammu and Kashmir and linked it to the death of 25-year-old Tanveer Ahmad Chopan, who was reportedly chased and assaulted while transporting a milch cow and two calves.
“Those behind this incident should be given exemplary punishment to nip this evil in the bud,” he said.
Mirwaiz also warned of consequences if the matter is not addressed. “It can have repercussions for which those in authority will be responsible,” he said.
According to locals, Chopan, a resident of Mundkhal Pogal in Ukhral tehsil, was travelling from Jammu towards his native village on April 12 when he was confronted by suspected cow vigilantes. Eyewitnesses said he allegedly jumped into the nearby Bisleri Nallah while trying to escape.
Officials said a multi-agency search operation is underway to trace him, entering the fourth day, even as a Special Investigative Team (SIT) has been constituted. Four persons have been arrested in connection with the case so far.