A 24-year-old man, accused of illegal cow slaughter, drowned in a pond while trying to evade arrest by a local cattle protection squad (CPS) on Saturday night. The incident took place in Madhopur village, Haridwar district, according to reports. A six-member CPS team was patrolling Madhopur based on information about individuals involved in cow slaughter.

When the team signalled the man, identified as Wasim Qureshi Monu from the nearby village of Sohalpur Gada, to stop his scooter, he accelerated and leaped into a large, weed-infested pond, ToI reported.

Despite a search that lasted through the night, the police could not find Monu. “His body was recovered from the pond on Sunday morning,” reported Narendra Pant, the circle officer (CO) of Roorkee.

As authorities attempted to retrieve the body, enraged villagers disrupted the process, accusing the police of killing Monu by throwing him into the pond. After a tense confrontation, police were able to take the body into custody and transport it for an autopsy.

Monu’s family has filed a police complaint. “We are investigating the allegations and details provided in the complaint. A case will be registered based on our findings,” said the CO.

Local MLA Virendra Jati, along with Bhim Army officials and other political representatives, arrived at the scene. “The deceased was a gym trainer who had come to Madhopur to visit his sister. He was on his way back home when police picked him, tortured him, and then threw him into the pond. A murder charge should be filed against all involved officers,” Jati demanded.