Hundreds of agitated residents of villages near the Yamuna Expressway blocked the highway for more than five hours on Friday morning, leading to massive traffic snarls on the stretch.
They also clashed with police and tried to torch a cattle van, which was allegedly transporting livestock to Delhi from Aligarh. The truck was loaded with 35 milch cows, four of which were reportedly dead. The villagers presumed the cattle were being transported to a local abattoir.
According to police, the incident occurred early in the morning when a truck loaded with bovines had a flat tyre on the Expressway. “About 5 km from the zero point, one of the tyres of the truck had a puncture. The driver abandoned the truck and fled,” said Brijesh Kumar, Superintendent of Police (Rural), Greater Noida.
Around 7 am, the Expressway patrol party noticed the truck and alerted the police. Scores of angry people from nearby villages had gathered there. Sources said that the villagers proceeded to unload the herd from the truck. In doing so, they blocked the Expressway leading to massive traffic gridlock.
Senior officials reached the spot and brought the situation under control assuring villagers that the guilty would be brought to book. The Expressway operator stopped entry to all vehicles to avoid any untoward situation.
The PAC and CRPF personnel were deployed in the area to maintain law and order. The crowd agreed to disperse only around noon. “We are conducting a detailed investigation and have also lodged an FIR against unknown people. The carcasses have been sent for post-mortem, while the other cows have been kept at a shelter in Noida,” said the SP.