Truck carrying plywood stopped by gau rakshaks; stones thrown, several hurt in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Tension erupted late on Saturday night in Gudimalkapur when self styled gau rakshaks stopped a container truck on suspicion of carrying cattle, only to find it laden with plywood and cardboard, officials said. The confrontation ended in stone pelting, leaving a few passersby and two policemen injured and several vehicles damaged.

The incident began around midnight when the vigilantes halted the vehicle claiming it was transporting cattle. After discovering the load did not contain animals, the group pelted stones at the container. Local residents who gathered at the scene retaliated and chased the vigilantes away, police said.

Senior officers deployed additional forces to the area and stepped up patrolling to prevent further escalation. All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA Majid Hussain arrived at the scene, helped calm tensions and took part in a brief sit down protest with local residents, according to footage from the spot.

Hussain criticised the police response, saying officers failed to control the situation initially and questioning why the vehicle was not secured near the Asif Nagar police station. “When locals were telling the police that it is a plywood carrying truck and were asking why there was violence over it, all that the inspector said is that he will do a lathi charge,” he said.

Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjedullah Khan accused the police of inaction, alleging that about 150 gau rakshaks bearing saffron flags blocked traffic for over an hour and attacked the driver. He questioned why authorities did not act despite recent warnings from Telangana DGP C.V. Anand against vigilantism and assurances that cases would be registered.

The police have registered a case and investigations are underway.