Mathura, 22 March (HS): As many

as, nineteen persons have been detained and imprisoned for allegedly

obstructing the Delhi-Agra National Highway and engaging in violence following

the murder of cow vigilante Chandrashekhar Das, also known as 'Farsa Wale

Baba', police said on Sunday. The arrests came a day after the 57-year-old was

slain in an early morning incident near the Kosi Kalan neighborhood, sparking

widespread protests and traffic disruptions during President Droupadi Murmu's

visit to the district. According to police, thousands of followers and

disciples of the dead congregated on the highway on Saturday, reportedly

causing disruption as the president was in Govardhan as part of her three-day

Uttar Pradesh trip. Authorities claimed the demonstrators obstructed the route,

producing traffic snarls that stretched several kilometers. However, when

police tried to clear the road, they resorted to stone-throwing, wounding

several people. The violence destroyed a police outpost as well as many

government vehicles.

An FIR has

been filed at Kosi Kalan police station against one Daksh Chaudhary and his

companions under the relevant sections of the BNS. Police characterized

Chaudhary, a Ghaziabad resident, as a history-sheeter who was reportedly

involved in vandalism, looting, and vehicular assaults. Further information on

the cases against him is being obtained.

Police

also filed a complaint against the driver of the Rajasthan-registered vehicle

that allegedly struck Chandrashekhar. Officials said that the fatality was

unintentional, caused by a truck colliding with the group in bad visibility, a

claim that Chandrashekhar's supporters denied, alleging the participation of

cattle smugglers.

Senior

Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar stated that those apprehended on Saturday

were brought before a magistrate on Sunday following a medical check and sent

to judicial detention. Close aides of the dead, including one Bhura, have been

detained, as have Chaudhary and his cronies. Police further stated that, in

response to demands from the deceased's followers, final rites were performed

on Saturday in the presence of authorities without a post-mortem examination.

District

Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said that a memorial to Chandrashekhar will be

built in the gaushala in Ajanokh hamlet, along with a police outpost for

security. He also stated that the government will temporarily assume

responsibility for the care of around 400 cows at the shelter, with the

required directives sent to local officials.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi