Punjab Gau Raksha Dal chief arrested for extortion, kidnapping, sodomy

Chandigarh, Aug 21: After a week-long undercover investigation by India Today, Gau Raksha Dal chief of Punjab Satish Kumar was today arrested by the Patiala police. Kumar was booked on charges of extortion, sodomy and kidnapping.

On August 6, the Punjab Police had booked Kumar under various section of the Indian Penal Code.

Satish Kumar was on the run ever since he was booked under Section 377 of the IPC on the basis of a complaint filed by cow trader. Apart from beating him up, Kumar also sodomised the trader.

The victim had told a judicial magistrate that Kumar and others had forcibly taken him to a cow shelter in Rajpura where he was sodomised and beaten up. The victim said that Kumar and others also urinated in his mouth.

Kumar was booked a day after PM Modi ordered stringent action against fake cow protectors.

Investigations have revealed that Punjab was the nerve-centre of cow vigilantism with several Gau Rakshaks turning into mafias exploiting and seeking extortions from cattle transporters in Punjab.

India Today reporters disguised as Delhi-based truckers seeking safe passage through Punjab met several leaders of cow vigilante gangs, which have been striking cattle freight with increasing force and speed in Punjab.

Investigations further revealed that the Gau Rakshaks charged about Rs 20,000 against protection to each cattle truck passing through the state.

Kumar earlier made headlines after he stated that he was proud to be known as the country's biggest goon. He had also unabashedly justified his unlawful methods by accusing authorities of ignoring the issue of cow trafficking.