Man caught transporting nine cows in minivan

NAGPUR:The recent ban on beef in the state has driven the trade of the meat underground. Last Saturday, city police caught hold of a person who was transporting nine cows in a speeding van near Mahadula T-point, Koradi Road.
Sources in the government say that this incident is just a tip of the iceberg and illegal transporting and slaughtering of cows continues to prevail in the city at many places, albeit secretly.The van carrying nine fully-grown cows was nabbed by a patrolling team of police officials in the wee hours of Saturday. “We were patrolling around 4am when a minivan rushed past us and we got suspicious. The driver must have been driving at a speed of 120km per hour and we had to chase him for almost two kilometres till Modern School. The van smelled of cow dung and when we checked it, we found nine cows tightly tied up at the back of the vehicle,” said police constable Sandeep Wankhede of Koradi police station. He added that the driver had no answer when he was enquired about having permission for transporting the animals.
Police sub-inspector Pundlik Bonde told TOI that the vehicle was from Madhya Pradesh and an FIR has been lodged against the driver. “The investigation is on and we have confiscated the van but till now, nobody has turned up to claim it. The driver has not revealed anything about the owner of car,” he said.
People For Animals (PFA) activist Akhil Rokde who reached the spot said that the cows were tied up tight and covered with plastic. “The cows must have been above five years of age and were tightly packed together. The ropes were so tight that we had a difficult time cutting it with a knife. The rescued cows are presently kept at Gorakshan Sansthan,” he added.
Slamming the authorities for the weak enforcement of the ban, animal activists said that illegal transporting of animals is taking place right under the nose of governing bodies. “It is quite easy to identify vehicles carrying animals as they are covered with plastic and are usually at a very high speed. Still, almost 1,000 of such vehicles manage to slip away by the police authorities. The police needs to get more alert and checking should be increased at all toll plazas. The local MPs must also put pressure on the authorities to take stern action,” said PFA city chief Karishma Galani.