In an incident similar to Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh, on January 26, a protest erupted on Mumbai-Goa highway after alleged disposal of cattle carcasses were found in Lote, an industrial town near Chiplun, in the Konkan region.
According to Mumbai Mirror, a mob of around 800 people injured six police officials, after the protestors accused police officials of not taking quick action against alleged cattle slaughterers. The incident took place on January 26, when protestors blocked Mumbai-Goa high at 5.30 am. But when the cops tried to disburse the mob, they got violent and started pelting stones. The mob also attacked police officials with sticks and burnt a police vehicle.
Superintendent of Police, Ratnagiri district, Dr Pravin Mundhe, told the leading daily, “There was a complaint from locals that some people were slaughtering cows at a spot a few km away from Lote town. A few remains found there were sent for laboratory testing about five days ago. There was no reason for the crowd to call for a rasta roko on Republic Day. There is no justification for the attack on the 15 police officials by the mob. They were, in fact, disbursed by the police, but gathered again in some time and turned violent.”
The next day (January 27) the cops registered two FIRs, one against the protestors and second against unknown people who had allegedly brought a cow and bull to slaughter at a lonely spot near Lote. The locals, however, have said that a month-long campaign by a Hindutva organisation in the area could be linked to the protests.