Tempo driver missing since 2021, wife moves Bombay High Court alleging mob lynching by cow vigilantes

In a chilling account of alleged mob violence and institutional apathy, a Mumbai-based woman, Reshma Rafiq Tamboli (33) has approached the Bombay High Court on Friday (August 8, 2025), seeking urgent intervention in tracing her husband, who has been missing for over two years after reportedly being assaulted by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes in Pune district.  

Ms. Tamboli, the petitioner, has alleged that her husband, Rafiq Mehboob Tamboli (35), a tempo driver, was abducted and possibly lynched by a group led by Shivshankar Swami — an individual claiming to be an Animal Welfare Officer appointed under a High Court-constituted committee.   

When the matter was called in the High Court, advocate Satish B. Talekar for the petitioner informed the Division Bench of Justices Ravindra V. Ghuge and Gautam Ashwin Ankad, that the incident took place on the night of June 4, 2021, when Mr. Tamboli and a cleaner named Imran Sheikh Abdul Gafar were transporting meat from Pune’s Indapur to Mumbai. They were intercepted near Daund by a group of men in a white car, who accused them of transporting beef illegally. The mob, allegedly armed with bamboo sticks and sharp weapons, reportedly dragged the two out of the vehicle, assaulted them, and raised communal slogans. 

The cleaner managed to escape and later narrated the sequence of events to the petitioner. Mr. Tamboli, however, has been untraceable since that night. 

Mr. Tamboli reached the location at Indapur around 8.30pm. The workers of the seller loaded the goods in the tempo and handed over the bills of the goods to him. The petitioner submitted to the court that she had a last telephonic conversation with her husband at about 9.30pm on June 4, 2021. At that time, he informed her that he had started from Indapur and was enroute Mumbai.  

“On their way to Mumbai, a white car started following. The men called out threats and abuses and called upon them to stop the tempo. Sensing a threat, they did not stop the vehicle and kept driving ahead. At around 10.30 pm, the white car succeeded in overtaking the tempo of the petitioner and stopped the tempo. Around 5-6 men stepped out of the car and rushed towards the tempo and dragged the petitioner’s husband and the cleaner by breaking the glass of the windows of the tempo and started assaulting them with kicks and fists,” the petition said.  

The attackers were carrying bamboo sticks, knives, swords in their hands and were shouting slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’.  

The assailants forcibly unloaded the tempo, tore open the packages, and allegedly discovered beef along with other items such as green vegetables. Despite the driver and cleaner producing valid bills for the consignment from the seller, the mob reportedly destroyed the documents and continued to thrash both men brutally. According to the petition, they ignored the fact that the victims were merely transporters and not owners of the goods. The duo was allegedly robbed during the assault, with cash and personal belongings snatched by the attackers. 

While the cleaner, managed to escape the mob and hid in nearby bushes, Mr. Tamboli was chased down when he attempted to flee. The attackers later took the tempo to Daund Police Station and filed FIR at around 4.12am on June 5, 2021, accusing the driver, cleaner, meat seller, and vehicle owner of offences under Section 429 of the IPC and Sections 5(c), 9(a), and 9(b) of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1995. The FIR alleged illegal possession, sale, and transportation of beef, but did not name any of the accused individuals.  

The petitioner contends that the FIR filed by Mr. Swami was based on distorted facts. On June 5, 2021, Ms. Tamboli was informed by a man named Sadik that while the tempo had been seized by the police, her husband was missing. Despite repeated attempts, her husband’s phone was unreachable.  

She initially approached Chunabhatti Police Station in Mumbai on June 6, 2021, to lodge a complaint, but was redirected to the jurisdictional police. At Daund Police Station, despite being aware of the incident, officers refused to file an FIR for assault or abduction and instead registered a missing person’s report only on June 9. 

The petitioner accused the police of deliberate inaction and claimed that despite knowing her husband’s disappearance was linked to a violent mob attack, they failed to investigate or connect the dots. She later met the cleaner, Imran Sheikh, who narrated the incident and submitted an affidavit corroborating the petitioner’s claims. 

Further complaints were made to the Superintendent of Police, Pune Rural, on June 28, 2021, naming Shivshankar Swami and others, but no FIR was registered. The petitioner alleged that police ignored her detailed complaints disclosing cognizable offences, and instead shielded the accused. 

She fears her husband may be dead or detained without trace. The petiton highlighted the pattern of systemic targeting of members of the Qureshi community and meat industry workers by self-styled ‘gau-rakshaks’, who allegedly operate under the cover of ID cards issued by an animal welfare committee constituted by the High Court. These vigilantes engage in mob violence with impunity and police support, the petition said.    

The petitioner highlighted that as early as January 16, 2018, the Additional Commissioner of Animal Husbandry had written to the Maharashtra government recommending the cancellation of appointments of Mr. Swami and Milind Ekbote due to their involvement in “anti-legal activities.” However, no action was taken, and Mr. Swami was allegedly allowed to continue operating with impunity. 

Ms. Tamboli made several attempts to seek help through social organisations, which submitted representations to senior officials, including the then Deputy Chief Minister, Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural), and Daund Police, on at least six occasions between September 2021 and August 2022. Yet, no FIR was registered, and no investigation initiated.   

The petitioner alleged a deliberate cover-up by police officials acting in collusion with Mr. Swami. She pointed out that her husband, the sole breadwinner, has left behind a distressed family—herself, a homemaker, and two children aged 13 and 11—struggling emotionally and financially. 

The petitioner asserted that her husband was last seen in the custody of Mr. Swami. In her plea, Ms. Tamboli has sought: production of her husband before the court; registration of an FIR against Swami and his associates for assault and suspected abduction; constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT); and disciplinary action against erring police officials who failed to take action. 

All India Jamatul Quresh Committee have preferred several representations requesting the police authorities to register offence against Shivshankar Swami and his associates, but to no avail, Mr. Talekar added. 

The Bench asked why the FIR was not lodged and whether the missing person’s investigation was done by police and whether the police posted his photos on electronic and print media.  

Additional Public Prosecutor, Konde Deshmukh submitted to the court that he will place all the papers of investigation before Superintendent of Police, Solapur who will decide whether to register offence against Shivshankar Swami.  

The court had adjourned the matter till next week.