Following the discovery of a severed bovine head in Indore's Civic Centre area, tension spread to Ratlam, where right-wing organizations staged protests, blocking roads and placing animal remains on the street.
Police Investigation and Arrests
During the investigation, Ratlam police recovered animal remains from a house belonging to a family from a nomadic community. ASP Vivek Lal confirmed that police teams found animal parts inside the house during searches, leading to the booking and arrest of family members. Doctors from the animal husbandry department were called to examine the remains and determine whether they belonged to a cow or buffalo.
Land Dispute and Previous Incidents
The area where the remains were recovered reportedly falls partly on municipal land and partly on private property. Locals claimed a similar incident involving the same nomadic community living in temporary settlements had surfaced nearly a year ago. They alleged that despite assurances from the administration to remove illegal encroachments within a week, no action was taken.
Protests and Demands
Members of right-wing organizations gathered at the spot, accusing the administration of ignoring repeated complaints related to alleged cow slaughter in the area. ASP Lal stated that the exact animal species would only be confirmed after the autopsy report. Carrying the remains, protesters raised slogans against the administration and marched from Lokendra Talkies Square towards Sailana Bus Stand before police stopped them midway. The agitators later sat on the road again, demanding that the municipal commissioner be called to the spot and action be initiated against civic officials.
Security Measures and Resolution
A heavy police force was deployed in the area to prevent escalation. In-charge CSP Ajay Sarwan, SDOP Kishore Patanwala, Traffic DSP Anand Soni, and police station in-charges from across the city reached the spot along with senior administrative officials. SDM Archi Harit and other officials attempted to pacify protesters as tension continued. Additional collector Dr Shalini Srivastava, ASP Vivek Kumar Lal, and Municipal Commissioner Anil Bhana later arrived at the site and held discussions with protesters to restore normalcy.
