India’s most wanted cow vigilante arrested after seven months on the run from police

Police in India arrested a so-called “cow vigilante” accused of inciting deadly religious violence in the north Indian state of Haryana in July.

Mohit Yadav, better known by his alias Monu Manesar, was detained on Tuesday for allegedly uploading an “objectionable and inflammatory” post under a fictitious name on social media, reported the Indian Express.

Accused of instigating religious violence in Nuh in which at least six people were killed and several injured, he is also wanted for the murder of two Muslim men in the neighbouring state of Rajasthan on the pretense of protecting cows – considered sacred by Hindus. Mr Manesar denies any wrongdoing.

He was arrested by a joint team of Cyber Crime Police Station, Nuh, and the Crime Branch from Manesar in Haryana and has now been handed over to the Rajasthan Police.

“Deeg police has taken Mohit alias Monu Manesar on criminal remand from the court. Further action will be taken by DIG (Rajasthan) Police,” said Nuh police confirming his handover.

Violence broke out on 31 July after a religious procession by right-wing Hindu nationalist groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad was pelted with stones, Indian officials said at the time.

However, several locals told The Independent earlier last month that those in the procession raised swords, while chanting provocative slogans against Muslims.

By the evening, the violence had spilled over onto neighbouring Gurugram city, known as an IT and business hub, where a mosque was torched, which led to the killing of a cleric and injuring another person.

In response to the violence, authorities in Nuh razed hundreds of properties, which they referred to as an “anti-encroachment drive”. Critics, however, say this method has been disproportionately used to target mainly minority groups. A number of locals have turned to courts saying their homes were destroyed without following due process.

Tensions had been building between the two groups throughout the day of the procession in Nuh, amid rumours Mr Manesar, a key accused in the killing of two men Junaid and Nasir in February this year, would attend the religious procession.

On 16 February, Junaid and his cousin Nasir were allegedly set on fire by a mob while they were inside their car. A total of nine people, including Manesar, were booked in the murder case, while he denied involvement.

Since the murders, Mr Manesar had been absconding, with Haryana’s chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar earlier shrugging off responsibility, saying that the state had no information on him.

“The case against him is filed by the Rajasthan government,” Mr Khattar said earlier, while referring to the neighbouring northwestern state ruled by the rival Congress party.

“I have told the Rajasthan government that if they need help to trace him, we are ready to help. Now the Rajasthan Police is searching for him. We don’t have any inputs on his whereabouts. Whether they have or not, how can we say?” he said earlier last month.

This, even as Mr Manesar appeared on multiple TV channels to give interviews following the violence.

Following his arrest, Hindu right-wing Bajrang Dal issued a statement, accusing the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of betraying the group.

“We have been betrayed by the BJP. We never thought that BJP would succumb to the political pressure and arrest an innocent man like Monu Manesar who has always promoted cow safety,” Bharat Bhushan, state coordinator of Bajrang Dal, Haryana, told The Print.

“This is done by chief minister (Manohar Lal) Khattar himself. The way they are focusing on Monu Manesar and Bittu (Bajrangi), they should have focused on Mewat and the cow smugglers in that region. Had they done that, the cow smuggling would have reduced.”