A man, who happened to be a Muslim painter and polisher, jumped into a 60-feet-deep well in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh to save a cow which had fallen in, drawing praise from everyone.
Mohammad Zaki was on his way for the afternoon namaz (prayer), when he saw a crowd surrounding a large well.
"I saw that the people there were waiting for a crane. It arrived in a while, but no one was ready to jump in. That's when I removed my shirt and volunteered," Zaki told News24, a television news channel.
The crowd, which had gathered around the well situated in the Muslim-dominated area, helped Zaki without waiting for assistance from the authorities, reported the Press Trust of India.
When Zaki finally entered the deep well to pull out the bovine which had fallen into it accidentally in the Aishbagh police station area on Sunday, he said that it was scared and kicking around. When he tried to comfort the cow, it kicked him as well, hurting him.
"I then caressed the cow to comfort it, and wrapped the belt as well as my legs around it and asked the crane to pull us out," he said. "People were asking me to send the cow first, but I realised it was better to come along, lest the cow fell on me," he told The Times of India.
The cow is owned by one Prem Kumar a resident of Lucknow.
"After I pulled the cow out, it walked away calmly. It didn't even say 'Thank you' to me," Zaki said on the news channel with a mischievous smile.
The district magistrate of Lucknow, as well as the police were in awe of Zaki's bravery.
"My son is not educated but he didn't think twice before saving the animal's life," Salma, Zaki's mother told TOI. "I was worried about him, but I'm glad that a life was saved," she said.
She also added that Zaki had helped saved lives during Ramlila celebrations last year, when fire from an effigy had burnt some houses in the area.
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