Nagpur: Illegal cattle transportation took a violent turn on Saturday morning when the driver rammed his truck into a police jeep leaving it overturned and two cops of Koradi police station injured.
Acting on a tip-off about illegal transportation of bovines, a team of Koradi police started chasing the truck (MP 28-G- 0609) around 7.30am. The police team was trying to stop the truck near Koradi check post when the driver dashed the police jeep, which rolled over thrice. Police sources informed that head constable Suresh Rathod and police personnel Ravikant Kate sustained injuries and were shifted to Mayo hospital.
Meanwhile, another team of police officials from Koradi followed the truck and caught hold of a cleaner while two other accused managed to escape. “We produced the accused in court, but could not get custody remand. However, we will continue investigating the matter,” said police sub-inspector Devendra Patle.
He added that an FIR was registered under various sections of IPC and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA), 1960.
The police had seized about 25 bovines from the truck which were shifted to Dhantoli Gorakshan Sabha by activists working for cow protection.
Slamming the state government for its failure in enforcing the beef ban properly, the activists said that it was a shame that illegal cattle transportation is rampant in chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s hometown.
“One of the reasons is police are not able to break the syndicate of illegal traders. It does not put up cases strongly in the court because of which the accused get easily released on bail,” said Rajesh Shukla, city chief of Bajrang Dal’s cow protection unit.
He added that in most of the cases, bovines are taken to an illegal slaughter house operating in Teka Naka.
TOI has been repeatedly highlighting cases of illegal transportation of cattle in Koradi Road, Kalamna Road and Old Bhandara Naka in the last two weeks. In all the cases, the Cattle Transport Rules had been violated by the vehicle owners.
Sources said the increasing number of illegal cattle transport is an indication that despite the ban, cow slaughtering is on in the region.
