{"id":302267,"date":"2025-07-15T15:24:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T09:54:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=302267"},"modified":"2025-07-15T15:36:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T10:06:46","slug":"violence-in-the-name-of-cows-the-animal-welfare-groups-that-beat-up-truck-drivers-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/violence-in-the-name-of-cows-the-animal-welfare-groups-that-beat-up-truck-drivers-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Violence in the name of cows: The ‘animal welfare’ groups that beat up truck drivers in India"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story was originally published on Bellingcat<\/a> and has been republished by Alt News as part of an editorial collaboration between the two organisations.<\/em><\/p>\n

They describe themselves as \u201ccow protectors\u201d or \u201cgau rakshaks\u201d in Hindi. On social media, they often post about carrying out charitable work such as operating <\/span>ambulances<\/span><\/a> for sick or injured cows, <\/span>feeding<\/span><\/a> stray animals and distributing food to <\/span>people<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

But in the dark of the night, their work takes on a more <\/span>violent edge<\/span><\/a>. Multiple photos and videos show members of \u201ccow protection\u201d groups chasing, shooting at and beating up truck drivers they claim are \u201csmuggling\u201d cows for slaughter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Stills from videos of a car chase (left), shooting at a truck (centre) and assaulting truck drivers (right). Source: Instagram\/ @shivadahiya92, @gau_raksha_dalmathura and @parveenvashisth1414\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cows are considered sacred in Hinduism, the <\/span>dominant religion<\/span><\/a> in India. Many states in the country prohibit the slaughter of cows and <\/span>have strict laws<\/span><\/a> on the transportation, sale and purchase of cattle. These laws have become more stringent since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came into power in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

The vigilantes attacking truck drivers tend to be closely <\/span>aligned with<\/span><\/a> hardline Hindu nationalist organisations, and a <\/span>majority<\/span><\/a> of their victims are Muslims. And while they claim to be doing this for the sake of the cows, in some of the videos, the animals can also be seen injured from vehicles overturning during aggressive chases.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told Bellingcat that cow protection has become part of the political agenda of leaders of the BJP and, in some cases, they have backed the alleged actions of the suspects \u201cwhile the police have failed to take action against them\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alt News and Bellingcat found videos on social media showing violent assaults by members of five self-described animal welfare groups, mainly operating in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, where incidents involving <\/span>cow-related violence<\/span><\/a> have frequently been <\/span>reported<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong> We are not sharing links to these videos to avoid amplifying content depicting violent attacks seemingly targeting minority groups. However, if you are a journalist or researcher interested in obtaining this dataset, please email <\/span><\/i>inquiries@bellingcat.com<\/span><\/i><\/a>.)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Some of the leaders of these vigilante groups, when we reached out to them, claimed that they were working closely with the local police. One even received an <\/span>award<\/span><\/a> for \u201ccow and social service\u201d from a cabinet minister, alongside police officers. Senior police officers from the districts that these groups operate in did not answer questions about alleged police support for the cow vigilantes when we could reach them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While these groups most likely only represent a small fraction of the \u201ccow vigilantes\u201d in India, who have been reported on by the <\/span>media<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>human rights groups<\/span><\/a> in the country <\/span>for years<\/span><\/a>, our investigation sheds more light on how they informally work together to carry out mob violence against truck drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Akhil Bharatiya Gau Seva Samiti (ABGS)<\/h4>\n

In a video uploaded in February this year, several men in cars are seen chasing a truck down a highway at night. A man from one of the cars pulls out a shotgun and fires at the truck. Police sirens can be heard in the background but law enforcement does not appear to interfere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Still from the video of cars chasing a truck. Source: akhil_bharatiya_gauseva_samiti \/ Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Akhil Bharatiya Gau Seva Samiti (ABGS), which uploaded the car chase video, is a trust \u2013 a non-profit organisation (NPO) formed to promote charitable activities. It was established in 2022, according to the Indian government\u2019s <\/span>non-profit database<\/span><\/a>. ABGS is based in Vrindavan, Mathura district in the state of Uttar Pradesh.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While its day job may seem to be \u201canimal welfare\u201d, videos of its members terrorising truck drivers at night are routine and oftentimes, promoted by the trust itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ABGS\u2019s president Bharat Gautam shared a post in November 2024 that shows a smashed-up car, with a sign for \u201cAkhil Bhrataiya Gau Seva Samiti\u201d on top of it, after what he described in Hindi as a \u201cheavy encounter with cow smugglers\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Bharat Gautam\u2019s Instagram post describing a car chase that damaged an ABGS car; \u201cAkhil Bhrataiya Gau Seva Samiti\u201d written on the car in Hindi highlighted in red. Source: Instagram\/ @team_bharat_gautam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Alt News spoke to Gautam, who said that cows are \u201cnot an animal\u201d, but a mother figure in Hinduism.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gautam claimed that his team works closely with Vrindavan police to save cows from being slaughtered for meat. \u201cWe either pass on the information we receive [about trucks transporting cattle] to the police and they accompany us in our pursuit or we patrol areas we know are frequented by cow smugglers,\u201d he said, adding that the police register cases against the drivers based on complaints filed by his team once the vehicle is caught. Multiple calls by Alt News to the Vrindavan police station\u2019s general line, as well as to the direct lines of senior police officials from the district, to request for comment on ABGS\u2019s claims went unanswered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe help the administration but they can\u2019t do everything so it\u2019s also our duty to protect our religion, our mother,\u201d said Gautam.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, videos shared by his team reveal that the cows they claim to rescue are also frequently injured during their car chases. For example, a video from February last year shows a pick-up truck that had overturned apparently as a result of being pursued, causing the cattle inside to fall onto the road. The video shows three men sitting on the ground, looking gravely injured, and several people hitting them while posing for photos. Meanwhile, the cows can be seen sprawled on the side of the road, also apparently injured.<\/span><\/p>\n