Two held for allegedly transporting 17 cattle via KMP for slaughter

Police said the accused failed to produce transport documents and allegedly told investigators the animals were being taken towards Mewat-Alwar.

Two men were arrested for allegedly transporting 17 cattle for slaughter after Gurugram police intercepted a canter on the KMP Expressway near the Pataudi toll on Friday, police said on Sunday.

A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Haryana Gauvansh Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. (File photo)

According to the FIR registered at Farukhnagar police station, a team from the Gurugram Police’s Cow Protection Cell was patrolling near the KMP Expressway when it spotted a canter approaching at high speed. Police signalled the driver to stop, but he allegedly tried to turn the vehicle around to evade the checkpoint. The canter climbed onto the footpath, causing the front tyre on the driver’s side to burst and the windscreen to shatter before coming to a halt, the FIR stated. The two occupants allegedly attempted to flee but were overpowered.

The accused, residents of Moradabad district and Agra district in Uttar Pradesh, were travelling in a Uttar Pradesh-registered canter. Police said they found 17 cattle inside, comprising 16 cows of different colours and one bull. The animals were allegedly tied with ropes and packed in a cramped manner. Police said the occupants failed to produce any documents, licence or permit for transporting the cattle.

The FIR stated that during questioning, the accused allegedly told police they were transporting the cattle towards Mewat-Alwar for slaughter. Based on the complaint of an assistant sub-inspector, police registered a case under Sections 281 (rash driving) and 125 (act endangering public safety and human life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The investigation is underway.

The seizure comes amid an intensified crackdown in the neighbouring Nuh district. According to data released by Nuh Police, 107 cases related to cow slaughter and cattle smuggling were registered between April 4 and June 30, leading to 214 arrests. Police rescued 207 cows, 15 calves and 52 bulls, recovered 13 cattle hides, seized 2,865 kg of prohibited meat and impounded 72 vehicles. Police said the figures were higher than the 51 cases and 157 arrests recorded during the corresponding period last year. Nuh Superintendent of Police (SP) Arpit Jain said the district police were following a “zero tolerance” policy against cow slaughter and cattle smuggling. Police also said recent operations had led to several encounters in which police personnel were injured and two policemen lost their lives.