10 Held After Cow Remains Found In Yamuna At HP-U’khand Border, Bid To Stoke ‘Communal Tensions’ Suspected

Uttarakhand and Himachal Police have arrested 10 suspects over cow remains found in the Yamuna River that triggered protests by Hindu groups. The act is believed to have been aimed at inciting communal tensions.

Representational Image | Suspected cow remains were discovered in the Yamuna River in Himachal Pradesh's Paonta Sahib on Monday, police said.

Source : PTI

Police have arrested 10 people after suspected cow remains were discovered in the Yamuna River along the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border, triggering protests by Hindu organisations. Officials suspect the act was intended to incite communal tensions.

Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Singh told news agency ANI, “On the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border, many remains of cattle were recovered from the Yamuna river in Sirmaur… Seeing this and the resultant public reaction, a meeting was held with Sirmaur SP, and information was collected keeping all angles in mind… An SIT was formed, and as per the inputs, it indicated the involvement of a gang.”

“Prima facie, it also seemed that this was being done to incite communal tensions as so many carcasses were gathered at the spot. Eight accused have been arrested from Dehradun, which includes a gangster and history-sheeter Sadiq, who was operating the whole gang… Two people have been arrested by Sirmaur Police… Other suspects are being traced,” he added.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand | On cow-slaughter incident on the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border, Dehradun SSP Ajay Singh says, "... Many remains of cattle were recovered from the Yamuna river in Sirmaur... Seeing this and the resultant public reaction, a meeting was held with Sirmaur… pic.twitter.com/CzM5dGEEhk

— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025

Singh added that strict action would be taken, given the sensitivity of the case.

BJP MLA, Hindu Outfits Stage Protest Alleging 'Freshly Slaughtered' Cow Remains In Yamuna

According to news agency PTI, several Hindu organisations, including the Bajrang Dal, staged a protest and blocked the Dehradun-Chandigarh National Highway in Himachal Pradesh’s Paonta Sahib on Monday following the discovery. BJP MLA from Paonta Sahib, Sukhram Chaudhary, also joined the protest while appealing for peace. The former minister demanded swift police action.

Protesters alleged that freshly slaughtered cow remains were found floating in the Yamuna on both the Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand sides of the river. Superintendent of Police (Sirmaur) N.S. Negi rushed to the site and, after assessing the situation, ordered an investigation. Negi, who is currently in Paonta Sahib supervising the probe, urged for calm and assured demonstrators that police were actively working on the case.

“A case has been registered in this connection,” Negi stated.

Paonta residents were enraged after the remains of what are suspected to be over a dozen freshly slaughtered cows were discovered near the town. Soon after, locals gathered at Shri Parshuram Chowk and staged a dharna (sit-in protest), demanding immediate action. Around 7 pm, hundreds of protesters, including Bajrang Dal members, marched through the local market before reaching the Yamuna bridge, which connects Himachal Pradesh with Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, as per PTI.

The demonstrators blocked the national highway, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible, alleging that the act was deliberately intended to hurt Hindu sentiments, especially during Navratri.

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