Suriyawan police in Bhadohi district arrested Vijay Gautam, alias Kallu, following an exchange of fire at an orchard in Bairiparwa village on Sunday night. Gautam’s three accomplices managed to escape. The accused were charged with slaughtering a stray bull after villagers witnessed the act and alerted authorities.
Bhadohi SP Abhimanyu Manglik said that upon receiving the alert, police raided the orchard near a garden close to the primary school on Kalinjara Road. The accused fired at the police team and attempted to flee. In the retaliatory firing, Vijay Gautam sustained a bullet injury in the leg and was apprehended. Police recovered beef, animal remains, a cleaver, a car, a country-made pistol, and cartridges from him.
Further searches of the surrounding fields revealed bone pieces and other parts of the animal. During interrogation, Gautam admitted that he and his friend Rajkumar Saroj had caught a stray bull grazing in the area and struck a deal with two buyers for its slaughter. Rajkumar had driven the bull to the orchard, where all parties slaughtered it at night. They attempted to conceal the carcass by placing the head in a car, but villagers raised an alarm before they could flee.
Police are continuing efforts to apprehend Rajkumar Saroj and the other two accomplices who remain at large.
In a separate incident in Azamgarh, Maharajganj police arrested Shibbu in 2025 for butchering a prohibited animal near Badhardeeh Puliya.
