Animal rights activists, on Monday, alleged that the police department was hand-in-glove with cattle smugglers.
Briefing reporters, Joshin Anthony of Gau Gyan Foundation, said that on July 4 night, they were attacked while trying to save cows from being butchered at illegal slaughter houses in Islampura (Annasandra Palya) in the City. She claimed she was molested and her clothes torn, but the police in the FIR, missed all such details.
“Despite our requests to requisition more force, the police did not call for reserved force.
Only after the activists were shifted to the hospital did the reserve force arrive on the spot. The police in their 'suo motu' FIR, have missed all vital details. The police also failed to include details like torching of a bike and destruction of cars and have not called animal activists to identify the miscreants who attacked him,” Joshin said.
Sunil Dugar of Akhila Karnataka Pranidaya Sangha said there are 13 illegal beef stalls where open illegal slaughter of cows takes place.
No assistance
The activists alleged that police never assisted them in tracking down the cattle smugglers. They said on June 14, 2013, at Devanahalli, animal rights activists had caught two trucks illegally transporting cattle, with the help of Devanahalli police. The trucks were carrying cattle under inhuman conditions.
However, the police did not provide an FIR to the complaint lodged and kept delaying the procedure till nearly 150 people supporting cattle smugglers gathered outside the police station demanding the release of trucks. The police allowed the smugglers to flee with the cattle.
Accompanied by T A P Shenoy of Vishwa Hindu Parishat and Nagaraj Trivedi of Go-Samrakshana Dal, the activists alleged that police are hand-in-glove with cattle smugglers across Karnataka. They said the largest cattle smuggling in Karnataka happens through Gundlupet, where all cows/cattle from North Karnataka are transported through reserved forest area — Bandipur into Kerala.
About 40 trucks, each carrying 40 cattle, pass through this route every day. On an average, nearly 2,000 cattle are smuggled into Kerala every day.
They also named a cattle smuggler, Inayat, behind running the racket with the help of a sub-inspector.