Nine people have been arrested after a mob torched a truck suspected of carrying beef near Sri Siddeshwar temple on Ugar–Ainapur road in Raibag taluk, Belagavi district, on the night of September 22.
According to police, members of right-wing groups intercepted the lorry, which was transporting meat from Kudachi in Raibag taluk to Hyderabad, and accused the driver of smuggling beef. The mob allegedly assaulted him, claimed to have found several tonnes of meat, and then set the vehicle on fire. By the time police reached the spot, the truck was completely gutted. Fire and emergency personnel, with assistance from Ugar Sugar Factory staff, managed to extinguish the blaze.
Superintendent of Police Dr. Bheemashankar S. Guled said two cases were registered. One case, under the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, led to the arrest of three persons, including the main accused, who was nabbed in Kalaburagi on September 23.
In the second case, six individuals were booked under provisions of the BNS for arson, robbery, and offences under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Kagwad police are conducting further investigation.
