Under garb of cow vigilantism, a Muslim meat shop owner organises heist of 500 kg consignment of meat and some cash

When he reached the Mico Layout Signal, three men intercepted his vehicle, claiming to be Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers and cow vigilantes from various pro-Hindu organisations. They hijacked Baig’s vehicle, drove it to a secluded location, and robbed him of his cash and meat.

Driver Baig’s story

In his complaint to the Adugodi police, Baig said that he worked as a driver for one Salim, owner of Taj Mutton Stall, a shop in Tilak Nagar, over the past two years.

Baig used to deliver the meat to Salim’s shop three days a week, which he used to transport from Ramanagara.

On 10 September, his vehicle was intercepted by three men around 5.30 am at the Mico Layout signal. Javed Baig had delivered a consignment of meat to a shop on MG Road in Central Bengaluru and was heading to Tilak Nagar through Mico Layout, when his vehicle was intercepted, he stated in his complaint.

The three men got into the vehicle and forced Baig to drive to a secluded stretch near Dairy Circle. Baig’s vehicle had a load of around 500 kg of meat at the time the three men intercepted it.

The said they were cow vigilantes and told Baig that what he was doing was a crime. They held Baig at knifepoint and demanded ₹1 lakh if he wanted to avoid a police complaint against him.

Baig pleaded with the trio that he did not have that much money and somehow managed to give the ₹10,000 — ₹1,000 that he had on him and ₹9,000 through a UPI payment to one of the trio.

The trio threatened Baig with dire consequences if he reported the incident to the police. The three men then made Baig drive towards the St John’s signal, dropped him there, and left with the vehicle.

After a while, Baig got a call on his mobile phone asking him to collect his vehicle from near St John’s Hospital close to Hosur Road in Koramangala.

Baig headed to the spot and found his vehicle, but found the meat consignment missing. He suspected something amiss and headed straight to the Adugodi police station, where he lodged a complaint.

Police baffled by meat-stealing cow vigilantes

The Adugodi police was baffled when Javed Baig said cow vigilantes had stolen the meat from his vehicle.

Using CCTV footage, they tracked the vehicle’s movement. The cops saw the meat load from Baig’s vehicle being shifted into another vehicle and driven away.

“That was how our men reached the doorstep of the meat shop owner Mohammed, who confessed to taking advantage of the prevailing eco-system to make a few quick bucks,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Southeast Chandrashekar K Baba told South First.

The accused Mohammed apparently told the police that he had an ongoing dispute with Baig over the delivery of meat as also payment issues.

It was then that Mohammed came up with the plan of the heist by roping in his three rowdy friends — Madhu, Dinesh and Karthik.

As Mohammed was aware that Baig’s usual route from Ramanagara to Bengaluru for deliveries to meat shops, he told the trio to act as if they were cow vigilantes and intercept his vehicle and demand ₹1 lakh, which he expected the driver to be carrying.

The deal was that the three could keep the ₹1 lakh for themselves, but the meat load would reach Mohammed’s shop. The trio accepted the deal and carried out the operation which landed them in police net.

After their arrest by the Adugodi police, the four were produced before a magistrate, who remanded them in judicial custody.