Tensions Rise in Roorkee After Suspect Drowns During Police Chase

A man suspected of illegal cow slaughter drowned in a pond near Uttarakhand's Roorkee while trying to escape from the police. The local villagers accused the police of beating and pushing him into the pond. This incident has led to tensions in the Madhopur area.

A man suspected of being involved in illegal cow slaughter drowned in a pond near Uttarakhand's Roorkee after he jumped into it while trying to run away from the police, an official said.

However, local villagers alleged that the man was beaten up and pushed into the pond by the police.

The incident occurred in the Madhopur area near Roorkee late on Saturday night, Haridwar's Senior Superintendent of Police Pramendra Dobhal said on Monday.

The Cattle Protection Squad (CPS) of the local police was patrolling in the Madhopur area after receiving information that some people in the village were involved in cow slaughter.

The CPS saw a man coming on a scooty. As it tried to stop him, the man named Wasim alias Monu left his scooty and ran away. While trying to escape, he jumped into the pond, the SSP said.

A search was launched but he could not be found as it was dark.

Wasim's body was recovered from the pond on Sunday morning.

A crowd of locals gathered at the spot and clashed with the CPS in protest, refusing to hand over the body to the police for a post-mortem.

The crowd alleged that the man was beaten up and pushed into the pond by the police.

The police had to finally chase away the crowd to take the body into custody for an autopsy. Wasim's body was handed over to his family after the autopsy, the SSP said.

On the basis of a complaint lodged by the CPS, a case was lodged against one Alauddin and 100-150 other unidentified persons under various sections of the BNS and the Cattle Protection Act for rioting and preventing public servants from performing their official duty, the SSP said.

A case has also been registered against four others for spreading rumours on social media to disrupt peace by giving the incident a communal colour, he said.

There is peace in the area, the SSP said, but warned of stern action against anyone who tries to disrupt peace.