Title - Violence after cattle lifters kill villager

GURGAON: It was free for all in Jamalpur village near Pataudi on Sunday, as thousands of villagers went on a rampage disrupting road and rail traffic, in addition to destroying public property and thrashing policemen on duty. The violence broke out after a resident was allegedly hacked by cattle smugglers. Following the incident, thousands of residents from more than 12 villages in the area blocked the Gurgaon-Pataudi Road and the Delhi-Jaipur rail route, protesting against the murder of the local youth.Vikrant Yadav, 24, a resident of Khwaspur village, and a member of the local 'Gaurakshak Mandli', learnt about the alleged cow smugglers which were allegedly transporting cows for slaughter in a Tata 407. Yadav informed a few others about the vehicle and they started chasing it from Babda village. Yadav was on a two-wheeler and the others were in a tempo.Yadav was driving fast and soon he caught up with the vehicle carrying the cows while the others were far behind. According to local residents, he was driving parallel to the Tata 407 near Janaula vilage. At this, the driver of the Tata 407 allegedly took out a sharp weapon and attacked Yadav on his throat and then his head.

According to Yadav's family even the local police was part of the chase but they left after seeing the body.

As the news of the death spread, residents from nearby villages gathered at Jamalpur and started an agitation. They initially blocked the road, and later went to the railway tracks and disrupted it. They demanded the termination of all police officials on duty, in addition to the status of martyr for Vikrant.

Though Pataudi SDM Manoj Khatri reached the spot, the villagers refused to budge. Seeing no positive response, they went on a rampage. A group went to Tajnagar railway station and blocked the Delhi-Jaipur railway line. As a result, the Bhuj-Bareily Express was delayed.

The disruption of the railway line also affected more than 20 trains meant to run on Delhi-Jaipur line. The protestors started torching vehicles and even trains, when police started a lathi charge. Police were also forced to open fire in an attempt to disperse the villagers. Over half a dozen policemen were injured. The condition of two of them was stated to be critical. The train traffic could be restored only after 5pm.

"The situation is tense but under control. We are trying to restore rail as well as road traffic," said deputy commissioner of police (south) Rahul Sharma.

"The police not only kept their eyes shut on cattle smuggling but also on my brother's death. Had they stopped the vehicle at the naka, my brother would have been alive. They did not even make an effort to chase the vehicle even after seeing my brother's dead body," said the victim's cousin Harish Yadav.