Srinagar: Thousands of protesters disrupted traffic on the national highway in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday (April 13) after a local man went missing the previous day while trying to escape suspected cow protectors as they attacked him. Ruling National Conference, opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress party and others as well as Ramban locals say ‘gau rakshaks’ (cow protectors) were involved in the attack.Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ramban Arun Gupta said that the police received information at around 1:30 pm on Sunday (April 12) that a youngster named Tanveer Ahmad Chopan had jumped into Bishlari, a tributary of the Chenab River, near Magarkote. The SSP said some people saw Chopan, who had been driving home from Jammu in a mini-truck carrying a cow and two calves, jump into the river.A case (FIR No. 26/2026) has been filed at Ramsoo Police Station and four persons identified as Surjeet Singh, Sandeep Singh, Digvijay Singh and Keval Singh, all residents of Ramban, have been arrested. Gupta said that the circumstances under which Chopan plunged into the stream were a “matter of investigation”. “We have collected CCTV footage to assess whether he was being chased by other vehicles,” he said.Also read: Who Is a Gau Rakshak?It was not immediately clear which sections the accused have been charged under and whether they are affiliated with Hindu right wing outfits. The police have not shared the details of the FIR.Unhappy with the police action, thousands of Ramban residents, including women and children, swarmed National Highway No. 44 near Magarkote, disrupting traffic on the road that links Kashmir Valley and the Jammu region. The protesters alleged that Hindu right-wing outfits have carried out other attacks on Muslims in the area in the recent past, and that the groups accuse them of slaughtering cows.They demanded that the police should share a copy of its FIR with Chopan’s family and sought a transparent investigation into the incident.Chopan is a resident of Mundkhal village in the Pogal area, also in Ramban and his father is a special police officer.A video showed thousands of people gathered on the highway shouting slogans and demanding capital punishment for the culprits, “Phansi do, phansi do, gunahgaarun ko phansi do (hang the culprits),” the protesters shouted.The deputy commissioner and the SSP pacified the protesters and assured swift action against the culprits, after which traffic was restored on the highway.“This is not the first such incident in Ramban. We are continuously seeing such things. A viral video on social media recently showed a man being stripped and beaten up. Who are these people who seem to be working above the police? Who is behind these attacks and who is giving them funds? We want action,” said advocate Feroz Khan, a former Ramban Congress leader.Also read: Kashmir and Una Define a New Practice of PoliticsSajjad Shaheen, Banihal legislator and a leader of the ruling National Conference said he had learnt that Chopan’s vehicle was pelted by stones, which made him stop. Shaheen said he was pulled out of his truck by the attackers and badly beaten.“Fearing for his life, he ran away and jumped from a cliff. He fell into the river below and was swept away,” Shaheen said. Shaheen said he was carrying a valid permit for transporting bovines.Deputy commissioner Ramban Mohammad Alyas Khan said several people have confirmed that Chopan fell into the river. A team of the National Disaster Response Force arrived on Monday to assist in his rescue operation, he said. “Our teams are carrying out search operations. We are monitoring the investigation. Rumours being spread on social media should be discouraged,” he said.Meanwhile, PDP leader Iltija Mufti claimed that the police have not made any arrests in the case.“Tanveer Hussain was driven to his death by cow vigilantes in Ramban. As if the incident wasn’t distressing enough the culprits are yet to be booked, leave alone arrest. Mobile services have been suspended to stop word from spreading. But the truth is gau rakshaks enjoy institutional impunity from cold blooded murder,” she said in a post on X.Tanveer Hussain was driven to his death by cow vigilantes in Ramban. As if the incident wasn’t distressing enough the culprits are yet to be booked leave alone arrest. Mobile services have been suspended to stop word from spreading. But the truth is gau rakshaks enjoy… pic.twitter.com/NjAVpiJb1D— Iltija Mufti (@IltijaMufti_) April 13, 2026Democratic Progressive Azad Party spokesperson Salman Nizami posted on X: “Strongly condemn the shocking incident in Magarkote, District Ramban, where local Tanveer Chopan was allegedly chased by suspected cow vigilantes, forcing him to jump into a stream and go missing. Spoke to DIG Shargun Shukla, an upright officer who has assured strict action. The culprits must be arrested immediately. I appeal to people to maintain peace and let the police to do their job!”Strongly condemn the shocking incident in Makarkoot, District Ramban, where local Tanveer Chopan was allegedly chased by suspected cow vigilantes, forcing him to jump into a stream and go missing. Spoke to DIG Shargun Shukla, an upright officer who has assured strict action. The…— Salman Nizami (@SalmanNizami_) April 13, 2026