A video showing cows being thrown in a river in Madhya Pradesh has gone viral on social media, drawing strong criticism.
As per the preliminary report, the incident happened in the Satna district where a group of individuals threw the cows into a swollen river, which led to the death of 15-20 bovines.
The video, reportedly shot on Tuesday evening, shows the cows being thrown into the Satna river near a railway bridge in Bamhor.
Madhya Pradesh Police have filed a case against four men and started an investigation in the case.
Confirming the incident, Ashok Pandey, Nagod police station in-charge, said that around 50 cows were pushed into the river out of which 15 to 20 of them died.
"A video showing cows being thrown by some people into the Satna river under a railway bridge near Bamhor surfaced on Tuesday evening. Taking cognisance of the video, a police team was sent to the spot to collect information, following which a case was registered," Pandey said, according to The Times of India.
Four individuals- Beta Bagri, Ravi Bagri, Rampal Choudhary, and Rajlu Choudhary, have been charged under relevant sections of the Madhya Pradesh Gauvansh Vadh Pratishedh Adhiniyam, a new legislation against cow slaughter in the state.
The police said that the exact number of cows thrown into the river and the death toll will become clear after a thorough investigation.
The police later said that Beta Bagri, Ravi Bagri and Rampal Choudhary were arrested under the Madhya Pradesh Gauvansh Vadh Pratishedh Adhiniyam, a law that prohibits killing of cows in the state, and also under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Another suspect who is a minor was detained, Pandey added.
An FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Vinod Parashar who claimed to have witnessed the incident.