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New Delhi: Days after a content creator was arrested for feeding chicken momos to a cow, five Gau Rakshak Dal members allegedly assaulted him in Gurgaon's Sector 56. The accused have been identified as Chaman Khatana (45), Rohit (29), Lalit (25), Teshv (22) and Ayushman (20). Khatana, who is associated with both the Bajrang Dal and the Gau Raksha Dal, admitted he was among the first to confront Chandna.
The incident unfolded after YouTuber Ritik Chandna posted a video in which he was seen buying chicken momos. While he ate a few from the plate, the 29-year-old fed the rest to a cow. The clip quickly went viral on social media, triggering outrage among several extremist groups.
Khatana, the prime accused, claimed that after watching the video, he and his associates approached Chandna the same day. The group first demanded that he delete the video from social media, but Chandna refused. According to The Indian Express, tensions escalated when Chandna allegedly said he would feed mutton to cows during his next livestream.
The Gau Rakshak members then decided to “teach Chandna a lesson.” On Sunday, they went to his residence and confronted both Chandna and his father. Police said the group dragged the two men onto the street, filmed them, paraded them, and slapped Chandna several times.
They then forced Chandna to record another video apologising for his actions. The assailants also allegedly questioned him about his funding sources and threatened to kill him if he did not apologise publicly. “We beat him lightly because he insulted the cow, our mother. We had to protect our faith,” Khatana was quoted as saying by a newspaper.
Acting on Khatana’s complaint, police registered a case against Chandna under Sections 299 (acts intended to outrage religious feelings) and 325 (mischief by maiming an animal) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on Monday. Chandna was arrested the same day and later granted bail.
During interrogation, Chandna said he fed the momos to the cow after a viewer suggested it during his livestream. He also alleged that an unidentified viewer paid him ₹3,000 to boost engagement.
On Wednesday, Chandna’s father filed a complaint against Khatana and his associates. A fresh FIR was registered under Sections 115 (causing hurt), 190 (unlawful assembly), 191(2) (rioting) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS.
