Over 40 goats overrun by train after policemen herded them on railway track

E-Paper | March 02, 2026

GUJRAT: Over 40 goats meant for sale on the occasion of Eidul Azha were overrun by a train here on Wednesday after some policemen allegedly herded them to a railway track after their owner refused to accept the price offered by them for a goat.

Traders and area people blocked GT Road in protest against police. The DPO suspended the policemen allegedly involved in the incident and ordered an inquiry against them.

Abul Razzaq, a butcher, had set up a sale point of sacrificial animals along the old GT Road, near the Government Comprehensive School. It was visited by some policemen from a nearby check-post on Tuesday.

According to Razzaq, the policemen wanted to buy a goat for their boss, sub-inspector Ashraf Malhi, at half the price sought by him. But he refused to accept the price.

He said that the policemen left the place but returned on Wednesday and thrashed him. “They untied my goats and herded them to a railway track where they were overrun by a train coming from Lahore,” Razzaq alleged.

Gujrat DPO Rai Zameerul Haq has suspended sub-inspector Ashraf Malhi, in-charge of Jattowakal check-post, ASI Shabbir and four other policemen.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Pakistan

Lahore Police foil bid to storm US Consulate during protest

All PTI wings told to hold sit-ins outside courts, Adiala

Onion exports plunge as India floods market

haider

Sep 24, 2015 07:15am

PM and Khadim e Ala will definitely take notice and make a committee It appears to be a land dispute between police and the butcher

Recommend 0

Khalid

Sep 24, 2015 07:24am

They should be given exemplary punishment and court should order government to compensate the financial loss of the owner of the goats.

Recommend 0

ehsan

Sep 24, 2015 07:33am

Animal cruelty département must also take action and file case against those policemen

Recommend 0

Gambler

Sep 24, 2015 07:40am

The Train driver could have applied brakes. Nevertheless, presence of Police frightens us, the common people than feeling safe. These kind of behavior from Police Department is too common in South Asia .

Recommend 0

baba

Sep 24, 2015 07:41am

If we want to scarify something then scarify our ego, extremist thinking, growing intolerance for others.. No need to kill innocent animals.

Recommend 0

Asma

Sep 24, 2015 07:51am

just suspension? ?? no punishment for those policemen?

Recommend 0

Asma

Sep 24, 2015 07:52am

@baba so true

Recommend 0

Bishamber lal

Sep 24, 2015 08:04am

Result of enquiry will be zero and butcher shall have to pay fine for filing complaint against police staff. Role of police is same in Pakistan and Hindustan.

Recommend 0

Ayaz

Sep 24, 2015 08:19am

suspended is just like leave ... The CM minister needs to fire the police involved in this criminal act and make them pay for the losses incurred by the trader ....

Recommend 0

Random Indian

Sep 24, 2015 08:44am

@pak Sudden application of train brakes can lead to derailment, and worse if it's a passenger train.

Recommend 0

Ismail Pathan

Sep 24, 2015 08:53am

Punjab PM should compensate these poor goats owner, this is police culture in Punjab and Pakistan to pay BATHA. If they did this not happen.

Recommend 0

Shery Haider

Sep 24, 2015 08:57am

This is barbaric

Recommend 0

WaheedNoor

Sep 24, 2015 09:13am

Police version: We told him that he does not have a licence to set up his stall on the road. He got angry and untied the goats and they ran on to the railway track and run over by a passing train. He should be arrested for not having licence and animal cruelty.

Recommend 0

Chitrali

Sep 24, 2015 10:10am

Thank you Punjab Police! Thank you PML-N for reforming the Punjab Police!

Recommend 0

Cloud

Sep 24, 2015 10:19am

@Gambler what are you smoking... a fast moving train wont apply sudden breaks cuz it derails the total train...

Recommend 0

Talking Point

Sep 24, 2015 10:40am

Maybe the right punishment is for the suspended policemen to be tied to the track at the same spot .

Recommend 0

Ahmer

Sep 24, 2015 10:41am

The butcher will now be punished for price gouging.

Recommend 0

Sunil Varma

Sep 24, 2015 10:52am

@WaheedNoor ...it is absurd to say he untied the goats in anger !! 40 goats may cost about 40,00000 Pakistan rupees...why will a poor man risk loosing even one goat by untying them ?

Recommend 0

Changez_Khan

Sep 24, 2015 11:51am

Now these policemen should be herded on railway tracks. These are not law officers they are coward corrupt criminals, they must be punished severely.

Recommend 0

Iqbal Aswani

Sep 24, 2015 12:08pm

@Sunil Varma Read his comment again. He is telling the police version of story which they will make up during inquiry.

Recommend 0

Satt

Sep 24, 2015 01:33pm

Everything belong's to God and everything will return to him.

Recommend 0

Muhammad Zafar iqbal

Sep 24, 2015 02:58pm

If proved guilty these all involved simply be terminated from service on misuse of authority and loss also be recovered from them.

Recommend 0

Abdul

Sep 24, 2015 04:00pm

Notwithstanding the cruelty perpetrated I find it difficult to understand how fourty goats will be killed by one train!

Recommend 0

Iqbal khan

Sep 24, 2015 04:05pm

I hope we hear the follow up of this enquiry via Dawn and the news doesn't go into oblivion.

Recommend 0

Afghani

Sep 24, 2015 05:28pm

Trains should be BANNED now

Recommend 0

Muslim

Sep 24, 2015 05:40pm

@Khalid by now the presiding Judge must have received calls to keep it down and let the personal Policemen of CM go free.

Recommend 0

Moatague

Sep 24, 2015 05:55pm

What a sad personality that policeman must have got. Torturing innocent souls to vent his anger tells alot about this heartless man.

Recommend 0

Agha Ata

Sep 24, 2015 06:30pm

Maybe the policemen didn't know that goats would get hurt.

Recommend 0

XYZ-Indian

Sep 24, 2015 07:00pm

This can only happen in sub continent , our Police feels they are still in British Raj. the best thing would be to ask the Police chief , SP, SSP, DIG, IG or above to pay the money from there salary.

Recommend 0

Burjor

Sep 24, 2015 08:28pm

Our mind set is a disgrace to humanity.

Recommend 0

Qasim

Sep 24, 2015 09:00pm

DPO concerned must file an FIR against his men involved in this vandalism and loss be recovered from them had he been an honest officer.

Recommend 0

Azhar

Sep 24, 2015 09:01pm

This is deep rooted corruption, power, no tolerance and poor training. This example is true testimony that what right a common man have in Pakistan. These types of behavior and acts produced terrorism.

Recommend 0

shayaan Ali

Sep 24, 2015 09:53pm

for those not aquainted with norms of justice, let me quote few maixims of natural justice: "No one can be condemned unheared, No one can be a judge of his own cause, and justice should be prompt but fair." i advise all of you to be not blinded by rage, every story has two sides--as every coin has--and without hearing other person's version you cant reasonably charge him with guilt. This is precisely the purpose of an enquiry; wherin both parties are heared before each other and truth is sifted out. so be patient and dont get swayed by one side story.

Recommend 0

shayaan Ali

Sep 24, 2015 10:07pm

@ Ayaz. suspended dont mean 'on leave' brother. it means that the official concerned is deprived of his powers during period of enquiry, so that he may not influence or manipulate result of enquiry in his favour.Besides a portion of his salary is taken out, and he continues to perform duties of reserve nature. A punishment awarded without observing norms of justicr may satisfy public thirst for vengeance, but it is ultra vires in the eyes of law, in fact it is a big favour done to accused officer who could easily have that order set aside by higher forums of department or courts of law.

Recommend 0

ashamed

Sep 24, 2015 11:04pm

@Khalid Force the Policemen involved to pay all costs.

Recommend 0

Schizophrenia

Sep 25, 2015 12:08am

This is a case of animal cruelty.All those policemen be tried and exemplary punishment be given,mere suspension is a joke.

Recommend 0

Farooq

Sep 25, 2015 12:10am

These policemen are living in the past century. They do not realize the power of people and media. They are supposed to protect the public, not hurt them. These animals should be thrown in jail and left there to realize what cruelty they committed. They need training in the public relations and some more.

Recommend 0

Akram

Sep 25, 2015 01:29am

@XYZ-Indian "This can only happen in sub continent , our Police feels they are still in British Raj." Sir jee, please don't insult the British raj.

Recommend 0

canpakman

Sep 25, 2015 03:53am

Concept of qurbani and the attitude of police officers just doesn't make sense. Trying to give qurbani of almost stolen animals. Someone needs to understand qurbani

Recommend 0

Kautiliya

Sep 25, 2015 06:30am

These goats even could not be consumed because they were not traditionally killed in a form jabba.

Recommend 0