A serious shooting incident occurred near the Pocharam IT Corridor on the outskirts of Hyderabad, where a self styled cow vigilante, identified as Bidla Prashanth Kumar (alias “Sonu Singh” aged 28), sustained bullet wounds after a dispute with a cattle transporter. The police have arrested three accused, including the alleged shooter.
Sequence of Events
- The shooting took place around 6:15 pm on Wednesday in Yamnampet under the Pocharam IT Corridor policing limits. The accused, Mohammad Ibrahim Qureshi (24) of Bandlaguda, reportedly opened fire with a country made pistol at Prashanth, striking him in the chest.
- According to the police, Prashanth and the accused had a long standing conflict. Prashanth had allegedly been tracking cattle transport vehicles, using FASTag and location data and threatened to report them to the authorities. The transporter claimed losses of about ₹1 crore due to these interventions.
- On October 23, police arrested Ibrahim Qureshi, Kuruva Srinivas (29) of Shahbad, and Hassanbin Mohsin (22) of Kalapathar. A fourth accused, Mohammad Haneef Qureshi (34), remains at large. The weapon and car used in the crime were seized during the investigation.
- Prashanth is currently hospitalised at a private hospital in Secunderabad and is said to be in stable condition.
Charges, Motive & Implications
- The police registered the case under sections including attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and arms offences. The motive appears to combine elements of illegal cattle transportation and alleged extortion by the vigilante.
- The incident has intensified public attention on illegal cattle transport operations and the vigilante activities that operate alongside them, raising concerns about law and order in peripheral zones of Hyderabad.
What to Watch
- Whether the police investigation uncovers a wider illegal cattle transport racket and how many vehicles or consignments are traced.
- If the missing accused Haneef Qureshi is arrested and how the alleged network is mapped by law enforcement.
- The response of political and community groups: several local leaders have already demanded stronger action and oversight, citing threats to both vigilante workers and cattle transporters.
