The chargesheet was filed by Chhattisgarh police in a local court last week

Three cattle transporters who were found under a bridge in Arang in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district last month “jumped” to their deaths and were neither assaulted nor confronted, a Special Investigation Team has said in its chargesheet filed in a court last week. The police had earlier invoked assault and attempted murder charges in the FIR.

Qureshi and his cousin Chand Miya Khan (23), both from Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, and Guddu Khan (35) from Shamli district, were transporting cattle from Mahasamund to state capital Raipur on June 7 when they were allegedly chased by a mob on suspicion of cow smuggling and were later found lying on the rocks below a bridge.

While Chand Miya died on the spot, Guddu died on the way to the hospital that day and Qureshi succumbed to his injuries on June 18.

The SIT’s chargesheet said that the five men who identified themselves as gau rakshaks (cow protector) were waiting in three cars to intercept the victims and gave their truck a chase, periodically pelting it with rocks and breaking its windshield. The chase allegedly continued for 53 kilometres, with the chargesheet claiming that the accused did this with the full knowledge that it was illegal and could lead to death or injuries.

Scared, the victims allegedly stopped their car on the bridge over the Mahanadi river and jumped down in a bid to escape.