Gujarat police asked to act against alleged cow vigilante extortion rackets

By A Representative 

The Minority Coordination Committee Gujarat has written to the Gujarat Director General of Police seeking implementation of Supreme Court guidelines to curb mob violence and alleged extortion targeting vehicles transporting cattle across the state.

In a memorandum submitted on May 19, the committee alleged that organised groups operating in the name of “jivdaya” or cow protection were stopping vehicles carrying cattle on highways, demanding money from transporters and assaulting drivers and helpers if payments were refused.

Committee convenor Mujahid Nafees said several such incidents had been reported in recent months from different parts of Gujarat, including Adalaj, Kapurai in Vadodara, Nana Chiloda near Ahmedabad, Vasad in Anand district, Siddhpur and Matar.

“The issue is no longer limited to isolated attacks. Organised gangs are allegedly intercepting cattle transport vehicles for extortion and mob violence in the name of cow protection,” Nafees said. “In many cases, transporters and workers are assaulted if they refuse to pay money. This creates fear among people associated with the cattle trade and transport sector.”

The committee referred to the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment in Tehseen S. Poonawalla vs Union of India, which laid down preventive, remedial and punitive measures against mob lynching and vigilantism. The memorandum demanded appointment of nodal officers of SP rank in every district, identification of vulnerable areas where mob violence incidents have occurred during the past five years, and issuance of a fresh Gujarat Police circular for implementation of the apex court guidelines.

Nafees said the state government should identify and take legal action against “organised gangs” allegedly functioning under the banner of cow protection groups. “The rule of law must prevail. No private group can be allowed to stop vehicles, assault people or extort money on highways,” he said.

The representation comes amid continuing legal and political debate over mob violence and cow vigilantism in India. In February 2025, the Supreme Court reiterated that the directions issued in the Tehseen Poonawalla case remain binding on all states and authorities while declining to “micro-monitor” compliance from Delhi. 

The apex court had earlier directed states to appoint nodal police officers in each district, identify sensitive areas prone to mob violence and take preventive steps against vigilantism. Recent court proceedings have again highlighted concerns regarding implementation of anti-lynching safeguards and provisions introduced under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to mob violence. 

The Gujarat government told the Assembly earlier this year that 629 cases related to transportation of cows and beef were registered in the state during the last two years, with over 1,800 persons arrested.