Two men fatally attacked by cow vigilantes on suspicion of cow smuggling in lemon transport truck
Sonu Banseeram and Sundar Singh sustain serious injuries
New Delhi: A group of around 20 cow vigilantes brutally assaulted a driver and his companion in Sadulpur, Rajasthan’s Churu District, late on Sunday night. The victims were transporting lemons from Jaipur to Punjab when they were intercepted by vigilantes on suspicion of cattle smuggling.
The victims, identified as 29-year-old Sonu Banshiram and 35-year-old Sundar Singh from Fatehabad, Haryana, were attacked near a toll booth in Laseri village. A video of the incident shows the mob armed with sticks thrashing the victims as they lay on the ground, hitting them in the face with shoes and kicking their heads. After the assault, a man from the mob demanded the van's rear be opened to check its contents.
Rajgarh Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Prashant Kiran informed that the traders had stopped their truck on National Highway 52 due to rain. A tip-off to a cow vigilante group led to about 20 activists chasing the truck, believing it was being used to transport cows. Mistaking the vigilantes' intentions as a robbery attempt, the traders sped away.
The vigilantes caught up with the truck at a toll plaza in Lasedi village, dragged the men out, and began thrashing them with sticks. After the assault, one vigilante opened the truck and found lemons instead of cattle. Realizing their mistake, the group fled the scene.
The victims were initially taken to a local hospital in Churu and later referred to a private hospital in Haryana for better treatment. Sonu Banshiram sustained multiple fractures in both legs, while Sundar Singh suffered injuries to his arms and head.
The victims stated they were transporting lemons to Bathinda, Punjab when a group of people on motorbikes and a jeep began chasing their van. Upon reaching the toll booth, the vigilantes started hitting the van with sticks, pulled the men out, and assaulted them despite their explanations. The victims reported hearing the names Sonu, Sonia, Varun, and Dinesh during the attack. The vigilantes also snatched their mobile phones.
DSP Kiran stated that the police learned of the incident through a video clip that surfaced on social media on Sunday. A case for attempted murder was registered following the victims' statements.
"We have detained seven people since Monday," DSP Kiran said, adding that another three to four individuals are under scrutiny for their involvement in the brutal attack. The police have assured strict action against all those responsible.
Last month, three Muslim men were lynched in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district while transporting buffaloes.
Rajasthan: Cow vigilantes brutally thrashed Sonu Bishnoi and Sundar Bishnoi from Haryana over false allegations of transporting cattle, while in reality, the pickup truck was loaded with lemons. pic.twitter.com/5MdDyy7ujJ
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
