Mathura tense after 22 dead cows found in truck

Police said while the vehicle had been parked on the highway since morning, locals went to check on it around 8 pm, as foul stench was emanating from it. They also noticed blood spilling out of the truck, which was parked on the outskirts of Chaumuha area.

As they removed the cover from the truck, locals found dead cows. Soon, a large number of villagers gathered at the spot, removed the cows from the truck and set it on fire.

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The mob blocked the highway and indulged in brick-batting when the police tried to remove the blockade, said a police officer.

“The truck was carrying 24 cows. While two are alive, 22 were found dead. The cows were apparently being smuggled in the truck, which broke down near Chaumuha area,” said Mathura SP (City) Alok Priyardashi.

The driver and other occupants of the truck apparently fled the scene fearing trouble. They are yet to be traced. “The owner of the truck is being traced on the basis of the vehicle’s registration number. We will trace the culprits soon,” said Priyardashi.

The cows probably died due to suffocation, as the vehicle was sealed with a tarpaulin cover, said police. The two cows which were alive have been sent to a shelter home in Mathura.